


Someone To Lose

by Zucheenee



Category: inFAMOUS (Video Games), inFAMOUS: Second Son
Genre: All your favs are neurodivergent tbh, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Eventual Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Good Karma Delsin Rowe, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH ONLY INCLUDES CANONICAL DEATH, Multi, Neurodivergent Delsin, Pining, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Slow Build, Slow Burn, THERE WILL BE NO BURYING OF THE GAYS, neurodivergent characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-07-13 01:47:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 59,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7133618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zucheenee/pseuds/Zucheenee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Delsin Rowe was many things through the years: juvenile delinquent, high school dropout, criminal. Hero was never one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act I

**Author's Note:**

> I originally planned for this to be 20k or less total. Obviously I got a bit carried away.
> 
> Also, if anyone is interested in beta-ing for me drop me an ask on my tumblr: fetchwalkerss.tumblr.com
> 
> UPDATE: I've noticed some discrepancies in the timeline when I started with canon, the first date was in July but then I jump back to June. I want to clarify that the canon timeline starts in June.

 

_"I_

_When in good humor,_

_Give grass its green_

_Blazon sky blue, and endow the sun_

_With gold;_

_Yet, in my wintriest moods, I hold_

_Absolute power_

_To boycott any color and forbid any flower_

_To be."_

— Sylvia Plath, "Soliloquy of the Solipsist"

 

**August 25 th, 2018**

Delsin Rowe never set out to be a hero. He was a criminal, his thick file of misdemeanors proof enough. The whole thing where cops shook his hand instead of handcuffing him was definitely new. Even stranger was when people asked to take selfies instead of sucker punching him. Delsin wasn't sure he'd ever get used to it. The most surprising, however, was the company he often found himself stuck with. Well, stuck probably wasn't the best word for it.

 

Fetch stood on his left on the roof, hands vaguely glowing purple. Eugene stood to his right, blue pixels dancing between his fingertips. Fetch grinned at him before punching his arm. Misery loves company, he thought before facing the horizon.

 

"Shall we?" Delsin said before turning to smoke. Eugene and Fetch followed without a moment's hesitation. That was new too, not that Delsin was complaining.

 

***

 

**July 22 nd, 2004**

When Delsin was ten he waited for what felt like days for his parents to come home. Dad promised to play catch with him and Reggie, his mom promised to return with treats. He sat on the front porch for hours, kicking his legs and rocking back and forth on the swinging bench. Reggie tried to get him to come inside, but Delsin wouldn't move. Eventually, he joined his brother outside. They fell asleep somewhere around midnight (probably). Blue and red flashing lights woke them as a grim faced officer told them what happened.

 

All Delsin could do was laugh at him. His parents, dead? Surely not. The officer was mistaken. Reggie cried, tears falling silently down his cheeks while Delsin laughed his head off. He didn't believe it until he was identifying the bodies.

 

"Oh," he murmured. Reggie held tight on his hand, lip quivering. Dead. The image of his mom and dad in body bags wouldn't leave him alone. Dead, his parents were dead and he'd never play catch with dad again. He'd never steal cookie dough from mom again. His parents were dead and he was an orphan. The thoughts repeated over and over louder and louder in his head like a train wreck on repeat.

 

It didn't rain when his parents died. It didn't rain at the funeral either. Delsin didn't cry on either occasion, always hoping it was just a dream.

 

It wasn't a dream.

 

***

 

**October 12 th, 2007**

In hindsight, wiping the smug grin off Freddy Johnson's face was a terrible idea. The kid picked on him for years and Delsin just tried to ignore it. He called him an orphan, an idiot, someone nobody would care about if they read his obituary. Granted, obituary wasn't ever in Freddy Johnson's vocabulary. The bully made a mistake when he brought Reggie into it, calling him a golden boy with a stick up his ass. _You won't ever be as good as him, why try?_

 

If Freddy Johnson was looking for a fight, well, he got one. The look on his face when Delsin punched him made him feel kind of like an old cowboy. Kinda like the one his mom took Delsin's name from. The feeling quickly faded when his knuckles cracked against Freddy Johnson's jaw.

 

Betty picked him up with a sigh. He sat in the principal's office with a black eye, a toothy grin, and a splint on two of his fingers. She didn't ask him why, or if he was in trouble. She just took him home and made sure he was doing his homework before going to take care of business at the fishery. Needless to say, Delsin stopped doing homework as soon as Betty left. She probably knew, but didn't say anything. It was something he always liked about her. Reggie, on the other hand, yelled at him like he punched the principal instead of some trash-talking jackass.

 

It wouldn't be the last time Delsin disappointed his older brother.

 

***

 

**April 19 th, 2009**

His hand hung out the window of Reggie's truck. He turned up the radio, and a bass line pulsed through the air. Delsin whooped and hollered as he drove the truck down the winding highway that ran parallel to the sea. His phone rang for the third time since he stole Reggie's car. Delsin turned down the radio only slightly before putting Reggie on speaker.

 

"What are you doing?" He asked, tone deceptively calm.

 

"I'm driving, obviously." Reggie sighed long on the other end of the line. "No threats of death and dismemberment?" Delsin shouted above the music. "You're going soft on me Reg!"

 

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said and Delsin could practically see the scowl on Reggie's face. "Listen, just come home before you crash my car."

 

"Or what, you'll call the cops?" Delsin said. Reggie took a deep breath before starting to shout. Delsin hung up and sped up. The music was so loud his ears ached but he didn't care. He screeched to a stop at the top of a hill in front of a lighthouse. He pocketed the keys, not bothering to lock the truck behind him. Delsin climbed to the top and sat behind the railing, legs dangling like he didn't have a care in the world. His phone was ringing again. He answered, "I didn't crash your car Reg."

 

"Yet," Reggie said. "Come on man, just come home. You and I both know this is stupid."

 

"Maybe you do," Delsin said. The sunset painted the sky in vivid oranges and pinks. It was the best view of the sea for miles, and Delsin just needed to be alone. Reggie didn't say anything for a few minutes. "It's been five years Reggie."

 

"Del... You don't need to bring it up. I know." His voice was tight and Delsin could almost picture him. He was probably sitting at his desk, squeezing that stupid fucking stress ball Delsin got him as a joke a few months ago.

 

"I wanna talk about it." He said. The softness of it surprised him. Reggie didn't say anything. He sat there for what felt like an eternity, watching the sky change from red to purple to blue. "Yeah," he closed his eyes and sighed, "that's what I thought."

 

"Come home, Del." Reggie said. Delsin hung up. He pocketed his phone, watching the sky for a few more moments before getting up and walking down the stairs. He started up the truck, more careful not to get pulled over. He probably couldn't live down being picked up from the station for the third time that week. He pulled into the driveway of Betty's house, locking the truck behind him. Reggie was sitting in the kitchen, the wooden chair scraping against the tile when Delsin came in.

 

The first thing Reggie did was hug him. Delsin returned the gesture after a moment of disbelief, clutching his brother's flannel tightly. He felt tears threatening to overflow but forced them back. Reggie pulled away and held out his hand. Delsin dropped the keys into Reggie's palm, and if his brother noticed he was a bit glassy eyed he didn't say a word.

 

"Told you I wouldn't crash it," he said. The corners of Reggie's eye crinkled even though his lips were a straight line. Delsin took his victories where he could.

 

"Don't take my truck out again." He said. Delsin nodded and turned to head up the stairs when Reggie caught his wrist. "Promise me." He said. Delsin turned, locking eyes with Reggie briefly before looking at the ground.

 

"Yeah," he said, "I promise."

 

Delsin would break many promises in the years to come, but never that one.

 

***

 

**June 5 th, 2009**

Reggie graduated as valedictorian, which came as a surprise to literally nobody. He probably spent a week working on his graduation speech; crumpled papers and coffee mugs crowded his room, making it way less immaculate than Delsin was ever used to seeing. Reggie was always that kind of weirdo who kept everything neat and tidy, even when he was a kid. _You should try it sometime; maybe your room would be less of a biohazard._ Reggie would tease him, ruffling his hair. Delsin never really cleaned his room, just made way for more clutter.

 

He fussed with his graduation gown all morning, couldn't decide on the right dress shoes, had a hell of a time finding his notes. Reggie always worried, but the day of his graduation was probably ten times worse. Betty ironed out the wrinkles in his gown. Delsin found his notecards under two half full mugs of coffee and threw a pair of dress shoes at Reggie. He took the former gratefully, the latter with a halfhearted glare. Delsin and Betty sat in the audience with an obnoxiously glittery sign. Every time he waved it around a little bit of glitter rained down on them; Delsin couldn't bring himself to care. Reggie's speech, of course, was amazing. Delsin knew it would be, but he'd never tell Reggie that.

 

They went to an upscale Italian restaurant and ate a fancy dinner afterwards. Delsin flicked packets of sugar across the table at Reggie, smiling innocently when Reggie glared back at him. He was going to be a policeman, the irony of it made Delsin laugh his ass off when Reggie first told him. _Come on Reg, don't pull my leg like that._ He said, only to be reassured that yes Reggie was going to be a policeman. It wasn't hard, in truth, to picture him with a badge and gun trying to maintain order. Delsin wondered if he'd actually arrest him.

 

As it turned out, Reggie never hesitated to arrest his little brother.

 

***

 

**September 20 th, 2011**

Delsin dropped out of high school his senior year, which came as a surprise to literally nobody. It wasn't like he ever tried anyways, and dropping out was better than being expelled. At least, that's what he told Betty and Reggie. Betty just put her hand over his and nodded slowly.

 

"You'll find your place eventually." She said. Delsin stared at her for a moment, the corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. Reggie would barely even look at him. Through it all, he never said a word to Delsin. He figured it was better than being yelled at, but not by much. The next day Delsin woke up at noon and tagged a shoe store, it was a good day all around. He tried not to think of his brother's scowl. They sat in a tense silence that night over dinner. Delsin ordered pizza earlier, so they sat on the couch watching reruns of cheesy sitcoms.

 

Reggie still wouldn't speak to him. Delsin couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing. At least if he wasn't speaking to him, he couldn't yell at him. Or tell him a stupid joke. Or talk about his day at work and seethe over the stupidity of other officers. Delsin headed up to his room early, twirling a pencil between his fingers while looking at a blank piece of paper. Delsin put the pencil down and ran a hand through his dark hair. He knocked over his glass of soda accidentally, effectively ruining his carpet. Well, at least the carpet was already messed up with paint.

 

"Son of a bitch," he muttered before heading downstairs to grab some towels. He stopped dead when he heard Betty and Reggie in the kitchen.

 

"I just don't understand." Reggie said. Delsin hesitated on the stairs, caught between wanting to know more and being afraid of what his brother said about him when he wasn't around.

 

"He's a good boy," Betty said. "He's a little lost right now, but he'll find his place."

 

"I want him to be happy," he said. It was silent in the kitchen for a few moments. Delsin sat down hard on the stairs. "I don't want him to end up behind bars for the rest of his life. Everything I do, I do for him."

 

"I know." Betty said. Delsin stood up and slowly tiptoed down the stairs. He flinched a little when one of the stairs creaked, but Betty and Reggie didn't seem to notice. Peering around the archway carefully, Delsin hoped he wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. Reggie and Betty were sitting across the table from each other. Reggie stared down into a mug of coffee, Betty's hand over his. "Does Delsin?"

 

"He has to, right?" Reggie said before sipping his coffee. Delsin ducked back into the hallway and put his back to the wall, hand clenched in a tight fist. How could he know? It wasn't like Reggie ever did anything other than lecture him. "I want what's best for him."

 

"You need to let Delsin decide what's best for him." Betty said. Reggie sighed in return. "You're not his father, Reggie."

 

"Someone has to be." He said. Delsin pushed away from the wall. He bit his lip, fists clenching and unclenching.

 

"Delsin's world doesn't have to rest on your shoulders. Let him make his own mistakes, he'll learn." Betty said. Delsin rolled his eyes and walked down the hall to the bathroom. He grabbed a few towels from the dirty laundry and headed back up the hall. He paused by the archway to the kitchen.

 

"I hope you're right." He said. Delsin walked past quickly, not keen on listening to any other opinions about what was best for him. He wasn't a child. He rushed up the stairs, avoiding the creaky spot on the stairs. When Delsin got back to his room he groaned, glaring at the floor; yeah there was no way the soda was coming out of the carpet. He put towels on the floor anyways. Delsin picked up his pencil and tapped the desk.

 

Delsin looked up at the sound of a creaking door. Reggie poked his head through the doorway, clearing his throat. Delsin looked back down at the paper and started drawing. He wasn't sure what, he just didn't want to look Reggie in the eye.

 

"Hey," he said. The floor creaked as Reggie leaned against the doorframe.

 

"What do you want, Reg? If you're gonna lecture me just do it." Delsin said, holding his pencil in a white knuckled grip. Reggie stood in silence for a long moment.

 

"I'm not going to lecture you. I just want you to be sure this is really what you want."

 

"Let's face it, I was never gonna be you." Delsin said. Reggie only stared at him in stony silence. Delsin drew curling lines all around the paper, making a vined frame for the picture. "I'm not smart or nothing, I'd probably graduate last in my class."

 

"At least you'd graduate. Listen, I just want what's best for you."

 

"It's my life, Reg, you gotta let me live it!" Delsin slammed his hand down onto the desk; Reggie startled at the sound. He looked up and met his brother's eyes, dreading what he thought would be disappointment. All he saw was the almost shed tears in Reggie's eyes. All the anger fell from his lips like the sea broke on the shore. "It's my life."

 

"Okay." He said, breaking Delsin's gaze to look at the ground instead. Delsin stood up suddenly and hugged Reggie. He returned the gesture after a moment's hesitation, tears running slowly down his face, "okay."

 

How Delsin's life turned into a bad superhero comic years later, well, he'd never understand.

 

***

 

**December 5 th, 2012**

"You could just, you know, let me go." Delsin said as his brother shoved him against the truck. The click of handcuffs locking into place was all the confirmation Delsin needed. "Or not, I guess."

 

"Believe me, I would much rather not arrest you." Reggie said as he opened the back door of his truck. Delsin stepped up into the truck and put on his seatbelt, all the while being watched like a hawk.

 

"He said, as he arrested his brother again." Delsin said. What he got in answer was a door slammed in his face. His brother opened the driver's seat door, face screwed up in a scowl. If anyone could make putting on a seatbelt look angry, Reggie would be the guy. He started up the truck without a word. Delsin sighed and leaned against the door, looking out the window. It wasn't his fault the water tower looked so bare without his handiwork. _Everything is a canvas!_ Reggie rolled his eyes when Delsin said that in a rare display of sass. It was enough to make a guy cry.

 

"Maybe if you stopped doing stupid shit I wouldn't have to arrest you all the time." Reggie said, sitting stiffly as he drove them down to the station. "Why do you do it?" He asked, catching Delsin's eye in the rearview mirror. Delsin only shrugged in reply. Reggie sighed long and Delsin chuckled.

 

"I mean, what else am I gonna do?"

 

"Get a job, maybe?" Reggie said, taking them around a corner a little too hard. Delsin slammed into the window with a curse.

 

"Yeah right, nobody wants to hire a criminal like me." Delsin scoffed. Reggie slammed hard on the brakes as he pulled into the station's parking lot. He pulled into a space, putting the truck in park. He sat there, making no move to let Delsin out of the back.

 

"Whose fault is that?" He said. Delsin rolled his eyes in return. Reggie got out and opened the door. Delsin got out, marching sullenly into the office beside Reggie. Man, if Reggie hadn't become a cop he would've been a great soldier. All the shouting and picking on people would've served him well. _Don't you ever think you're meant for more than this?_ Reggie said to him once before as he sat across from him at his station desk. At least that time the handcuffs were on the desk and not on Delsin's wrists. Every time before Reggie left him in handcuffs until Betty inevitably picked him up with a long suffering sigh. By sixteen he was on first name basis with most of the staff.

 

The plastic chair was hard and uncomfortable as usual. He was sure his ass was wearing a Delsin shaped imprint on the seat. If he left nothing of value in the world at least his ass would be forever memorialized. The thought cheered him up a little bit. Reggie was filling out paperwork across from him, looking up every now and then to make sure Delsin was still there. In the beginning, he tried fervently to escape. None of his attempts worked or went as planned, Delsin was starting to think it was a metaphor for his life.

 

Reggie passed the clipboard to him. Delsin signed on the line and stood up immediately afterwards. He started to turn around and leave when Reggie caught his wrist.

 

"Promise me you'll stop, at least for a while."

 

"I can't," Delsin shrugged, yanking his wrist out of Reggie's grasp. "That'd ruin the surprise." He turned on his heel, laughing when Reggie muttered something about boneheaded brothers behind him. Sauntering out of the station, he tried to ignore the glares of other officers. He really didn't want to be lectured by people who sat behind a desk all day for a living and picked up high school kids for smoking. He paused on the sidewalk, suddenly remembering his forgotten spray paint. Booking it back to the water tower wasn't how he originally pictured spending the day. Delsin was relieved to find them untouched; he put them in his backpack and headed home.

 

Delsin didn't vandalize anything for a week afterwards.

 

***

 

**February 2 nd, 2014**

"You know," Reggie said. "When we were kids we'd watch cartoons every Saturday morning." They sat together on the couch, a bowl of popcorn resting on the middle cushion. "You'd always get really excited and babble on and on about Superman or something like that."

 

"I don't remember that." Delsin said before shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth. He swung his legs up and rested them on Reggie's thighs, putting the bowl of popcorn on his lap. His brother only glared at him briefly before setting his arm on Delsin's knee.

 

"You were pretty young," Reggie said. A cheesy horror movie was playing in the background. Neither brother batted an eye when blood splattered across the screen. _This stuff will rot your brains someday._ Betty always hated horror movies; it was just her luck to be stuck with two idiots who'd already seen all the ones on Netflix. "It was way before the accident." He said. Delsin stilled, looking at Reggie out of the corner of his eye. "You were always asking when they'd come home."

 

"Reg, you don't have to." He said quietly. Delsin half expected Reggie to stay silent, eyes widening when his brother shook his head.

 

"I'd like to," he paused for a moment, fist clenching and unclenching on the arm of the couch. "I want to talk about it." Reggie said. Delsin didn't say anything in return, simply waited for Reggie to say something. "After the accident I thought I needed to step up, be the man of the family. I always felt so useless with you getting in trouble all the damn time. Being the perfect kid, that was the only thing I could control."

 

"You should've told me back then." Delsin said, eyes fixed resolutely on his brother. The popcorn bowl was gripped tight in his hands.

 

"Yeah," he said. Reggie cleared his throat and shifted on the couch. "I can't imagine you suddenly deciding to shape up."

 

"Come on, I'm not heartless!" He protested, punching Reggie's arm. Reggie laughed and swatted his hand away. His look seemed to say: _really? Do you think I was born yesterday?_ Delsin rolled his eyes, "well, not completely."

 

"Jackass," he said. Delsin flicked a piece of popcorn at him. They turned back to the screen, watching the B movie like they'd just been talking about the weather. For the first time since the accident, Delsin felt light. "I love you, you know that right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Okay."

 

They never really talked about it again.

 

***

 

**June 10 th, 2018**

If the Akomish didn't want Delsin to vandalize his brother's face, they really shouldn't have put it on a billboard. Delsin, however, doubted any of them would listen to that explanation. Luckily, Betty promised to cover for him as he made his way to the long house. Unluckily, Reggie was already waiting to arrest him. As he dragged him over to the truck by arm, Reggie sighed long.

 

"Do you know how embarrassing it is to arrest my own brother?" He said. Delsin shrugged, grinning at him innocently. "Why do you keep doing this?" He said when Delsin yanked his arm out of Reggie's grasp.

 

"I'm just trying to make my mark on the world!" He said, rubbing his forearm where Reggie had been holding it with a white knuckled grip. "Ya know, assert my talent."

 

"Assert your talent?" Reggie said, raising an eyebrow. "So getting a misdemeanor for vandalism on your record is just asserting your talent." He said. When Delsin nodded, Reggie scoffed in reply.

 

"At least I'm not just sitting on my ass all day eating donuts!" He said. Reggie rolled his eyes, his mouth a straight line.

 

"Do you think our parents would be proud of this?"

 

"Would they be proud of you for arresting me over and over again?"

 

"Whose fault is that?" He said. When Delsin opened his mouth to protest, a truck came barreling around the corner.

 

"Reggie," he said, pointing behind his brother, "truck." Reggie turned around, both of them watched the truck crash into a parked car and tip over with wide eyes. Wreckage smoldered and fire started to spread around the crash site. Two people, both dressed in orange jumpsuits, got out of the car and immediately started running down the road.

 

"Search for survivors," Reggie said, pulling the gun from his holster. "I'll go after them." He said, not letting Delsin respond before sprinting after the escapees. "Don't do anything stupid!" Reggie yelled over his shoulder. Delsin rolled his eyes in reply.

 

"Need some help here!" Someone shouted from the truck. Delsin jogged over to the wreckage. A man in an orange jumpsuit was trapped under the back door of the truck. Delsin crouched down and lifted the door off him with a grunt. The man crawled away from the door; Delsin helped pull him up by the arm. "Thanks man, thought I was gonna die."

 

"Holy shit, are you okay?" Delsin asked, letting go of his arm once he was steady. The man put his hands on his knees, bending over and coughing. He gave him a thumbs up after a moment.

 

"They got away," Reggie said, walking towards the two of them.

 

"Shit, a cop." The man said before punching Delsin in the stomach. He staggered away from him, trying to catch his breath. The man turned him around and locked his arm over Delsin's throat.

 

"Let him go and put your hands where I can see them!" Reggie said, pointing his pistol at the man holding Delsin hostage.

 

"I don't wanna hurt him, I just gotta get gone 'fore she gets here."

 

"Let him go or I'll shoot you." Reggie said, finger hovering in front of the trigger. The man stuck out his arm towards the truck. Smoke from the wreck was drawn to his hand, seeming to be sucked in by his palm. Well, shit. Reggie hesitated, too stunned that he was a bio-terrorist to react. The man shot a ball of smoke right past Reggie; his brother dodged to the side before whirling on the bio-terrorist. Delsin grabbed his hand in a last ditch effort to stop him, not expecting to be sucked into his mind instead. Flashes of a life in prison, his power restrained, utter hatred for Curdun Cay. It was over quickly; Delsin woke up on the road alone, face down on the pavement.

 

"I gotta find Reggie." He said, pushing himself up slowly. He expected everything to hurt, surely he fell on the pavement and passed out. Shouldn't his nose be broken or something? Instead, he was energized and almost felt like he was burning up. He tried to walk forward but instead dissolved into smoke and flew across the road. "What the hell?" Delsin said when he was human again. Just like the bio-terrorist, his hands were smoking; he walked forward only to become smoke again. He couldn't control it, just flew wherever until he almost fell off the cliff.

 

Delsin stared at his hands in shock, utterly unable to control whatever was happening to him. He ran—no flew—until he was in front of a fallen tree. He went through that too, a million thoughts racing through his mind. He was one of them, a bio-terrorist. Curdun Cay would be his prison too. Reggie would never forgive him. The thoughts played on repeat louder and louder in his mind; I'm a monster, he thought.

 

"Get on the ground!" Reggie's voice pulled Delsin out of his mind, the reality of the situation hitting him again all at once like a tsunami. He ran, turning from smoke to human every few seconds. Reggie and the bio-terrorist were facing off on the road. Reggie's gun was aimed at the other man, who had smoke curling around his arms. Suddenly, he pushed a tree down, trapping Reggie beneath.

 

"No!" Delsin said. He smoked through the tree, hating the wide-eyed look on Reggie's face.

 

"What's going on?" He said, trying to lift the tree ineffectually.

 

"I don't know," Delsin said. He ran over to his brother, who only stared at him like he'd grown another head. "I've got to get this off of you!" He said, kneeling down to try and lift the tree. All at once, the smoke powers returned and threw the tree off of Reggie, much to Delsin's horror. Delsin fell to the ground; smoke still coming from his hands. "I can't stop it!"

 

Reggie knelt behind him, pulling him back into a hug. Delsin was shaking, smoke and embers swirled around the both of them.

 

"It's okay," he said. "It's okay." He repeated himself again, almost like a mantra. Delsin let the smell of his brother's cologne ground him, pulling him back to reality. A reality where he was a bio-terrorist.

 

"I'm a bio-terrorist," he said. Reggie moved in front of him, hand gripping his shoulder tight.

 

"No," he said. "You're my brother. We can fix this." Reggie said, nodding. God, Delsin wanted to believe him, but the smoke felt like an extension of his body. What the hell did that guy do to him? He thought.

 

"Okay," he said. Reggie stood up and offered his hand to Delsin, who let his brother pull him up.

 

"You good?" He said, patting Delsin's shoulder once. Delsin nodded in reply. "Let's go," he said, turning on his heel and running down the highway. Delsin followed, still in shock. Together, they made their way to the fishery. "Listen, don't use any of those tricks, okay?"

 

"Those tricks saved your life." Delsin said as they rounded a corner. The fishery came in view, a crowd surrounding the gates.

 

"I know, but if people see that they'll be terrified of you." He said. Delsin scoffed in reply. "Just go with me on this, okay?"

 

"Fine," Delsin grumbled. They came to a stop in front of the gates. Reggie tried to open them with no luck.

 

"They're melted shut!" He said, kicking the gate.

 

"I think Betty's still inside." Someone from the crowd said. No, Delsin thought, I won't let her die. He felt the smoke just under his skin; Reggie was giving him a warning look. Delsin ignored him and walked over to the gate.

 

"Del-" He began.

 

"I'm not letting her die." Delsin said, interrupting his brother. Reggie stood there a moment, stock-still. Delsin caught his eye briefly, offering a smile he hoped looked genuine. "Trust me." He said. Reggie nodded slightly. With barely a thought, Delsin turned to smoke and phased through the gate. People gasped behind him; he tried not to pay attention. He went through a vent, landing unsteadily on top of it. "Vents, good to know." He said. Delsin smoked through another event, propelling high into the air. He fell through a hole in the roof.

 

He expected the impact to hurt, yet he was right as rain. Delsin walked on broken glass, not knowing where exactly to begin his search for Betty.

 

"Get away from me!" Betty yelled. Ah, Delsin thought, she was probably wielding a stapler at the bio-terrorist. He ran towards the sound of her voice, stopping when he came to a doorway filled with burning debris. Delsin tried to smoke through it, only to quickly realize it was way too hot. Cursing, he looked around for anything to help him get to Betty.

 

"I don't wanna hurt nobody." The bio-terrorist said. Delsin picked up a chain off a nearby table, wrapping part of it around his knuckles. He started hitting the fallen debris, almost smiling when it cleared the way. The lock on the door at the end of the hall was melted shut, just like the gate. Delsin paused, knowing that if he busted the door open Betty would see; she'd know he was one of them. Briefly, he considered circling back and finding another way into the fishery. No, he thought, saving Betty needed to be his first priority.

 

With that thought in mind, Delsin broke the door down with his chain. Betty was in fact wielding a stapler at the bio-terrorist, clutching her chosen weapon in a white knuckled grip. The man's hands were held up in surrender.

 

"Betty!" Delsin said, his hands still smoking. Betty looked at him, mouth agape as Delsin struggled to keep the smoke under wraps. "I'll explain later." He promised before shooting a glare at the other man. "You're gonna fix this." Delsin said. Before Delsin could do anything, however, the bio-terrorist turned on his heel and fled. Cursing under his breath, Delsin pursued him. He only hoped Betty would get out safely. "You're gonna fix this!" He shouted as they smoked through double doors at the end of the hall.

 

They were in the main part of the fishery. Delsin swung his chain as far as it would go, yet the bio-terrorist was always just out of reach.

 

"This was only supposed to be a distraction!" He said, ducking below the chain. "Now I figure I got two minutes tops."

 

"You're not leaving until you fix this!" Delsin said, running after him.

 

"There ain't no fixing it!" He said, turning to smoke as Delsin leapt at him. Delsin shouted in frustration and stood up; the bio-terrorist stumbled and Delsin knew it was his chance. He tackled him and they both went to the ground hard. How did he do it last time? Delsin thought, shoving his knee into the other man's back. He grabbed his hand, trying to prepare himself for the flood of memories.

 

_I was in and out of prison all my life. It was easy enough to escape, just had to wait for that golden opportunity. When I got my powers, I was damn near unstoppable. Well, 'til I got caught by Augustine and her goons. They bound us all up in Curdun Cay so we couldn't use our powers. That meant they had to do everything for us, even wipe our damn asses. Augustine, that bitch, was real fond of scalpels. I waited and watched for six damn years. That military transport was it, my golden opportunity._

The two of them woke up in a heap. Delsin rolled off of him, rubbing his eyes.

 

"I felt you, poking around in my head." The bio-terrorist said, moving to his knees.

 

"I thought that was you." Delsin said. Before any of them could say anything, the sound of trucks screeching into the parking lot caught their attention. The bio-terrorist jumped to his feet and ran. Delsin chased after him, mind still whirling after what he saw. When he got out, the bio-terrorist was encased in concrete.

 

"Henry I'm disappointed." A red haired woman said, circling around him with her hands folded behind her back. He recognized her from the memories; she must've been Augustine.

 

"Please," he started to say but was cut off by concrete growing over his mouth.

 

"Well," he interrupted the scene, trying to play it cool. "I flushed out that mean conduit for you."

 

"Bio-terrorist," Augustine corrected him. "Conduit is a word used by sympathizers to their cause. Are you a traitor?" She looked him up and down, almost as if she was trying to size him up. Or maybe scare him; he had to admit Augustine cut an intimidating figure in her all black clothing and severe frown.

 

"I try not to be." He said, looking to the ground. "Well, you look like a busy woman so I'll just leave you to do your job." Delsin turned on his heel and started walking away from the scene. "God bless America and all that." He really hoped they'd just let him go. Augustine, however, had different ideas.

 

"Wait," she said. Delsin didn't dare walk any further after what happened to the bio-terrorist. With a sigh, he turned around. "You're nervous. In my experience people only have two reasons to be nervous: either they're hiding something, or they're a coward." She said, circling him like a bird of prey. "What say you: coward or liar?" Delsin didn't say anything. "Did Henry share anything with you? You were in there an awful long time with him."

 

"Share?"

 

"His ramblings, conspiracy theories." She said, waving her hand around in the air.

 

"Oh, uh no." Delsin said, rubbing the back of his neck. "He didn't share anything."

 

"Good," Augustine said. "Load him into the truck," she commanded the DUP soldiers. They sprang into action, moving towards the bio-terrorist encased in concrete.

 

"Hey that's kind of funny," Delsin said. If Reggie was there he probably would've told him to keep his big mouth shut. However, Reggie wasn't there and the thought fucking tickled Delsin. "Aren't you a bio-terrorist too?"

 

"I am," Augustine said as she whirled on him. Her grey eyes glittered with something akin to disgust, or maybe interest? It was hard to tell. "Sometimes you've got to fight fire with fire. Now I know you're not a coward, so what are you hiding?" With barely a flick of her wrist, a lump of concrete stuck in his leg. Delsin crumpled forward, cradling his calf in one hand. "Yeah, I'm told that hurts." She stepped closer, looming over him. Delsin shook his head. Another spike of concrete appeared in his leg. "If you won't talk I'll move on to your friends."

 

Betty's arm was held in a tight grip by a DUP soldier nearby. She tried to yank it away to no avail. Augustine walked up to her, hands clasped tight behind her back. Betty held her chin up defiantly, meeting Augustine's cold stare.

 

"Concrete is particularly hard on brittle bones." She said. Delsin tried to get up, wanted to save Betty, to do anything besides sit on the ground uselessly. It was no use; the concrete was a stabbing pain with every miniscule movement.

 

"Wait," he said, looking at the ground. "I'm a conduit. I caught it a few minutes ago from that guy." He motioned to the truck, where the bio-terrorist was in the back still encased in concrete.

 

"Caught it? Don't make me laugh. Maybe your friends could give me more insight." She said. A spike of concrete in Betty's leg made her fall to the ground. Delsin reached out to her, but his vision was quickly going fuzzy. All he saw as the world went black was Betty crying out in pain.

 

Delsin wondered if the sight of Betty suffering, his tribe dying around him would be the last thing he ever saw.

 

***

 

**June 17 th, 2018**

Delsin woke up alone. It wasn't the first time he'd woken up alone, but it was one of the few in recent memory. If Delsin was good at anything, it was slipping out of people's windows before the first light of dawn. People knew that about him when they went in, and he never apologized. First, his hand went to his calf, surprised to find no concrete remaining. Was it a dream? He sparked an ember off his fingertips and swore internally.

 

Slowly, he got up and looked around. The longhouse was transformed into what looked like a makeshift hospital. Beds were everywhere with dividers, the sound of vital monitors beeping was inescapable. That stupid fucking news anchor was blabbering on about the escaped bio-terrorists—no the conduits who were just like him—and talking to Augustine on air. Delsin glared at the screen as Augustine went on and on about the DUP being needed, especially after the escape from the military. Just how long was Delsin out?

 

He wandered through the longhouse, gasping slightly when he came upon a shelf filled with pictures and flowers. There was a sign in the middle of it all: "you'll be missed". Candles burned themselves into stumps all around, wax sticking to the wood floor. It was a memorial, he realized with a gasp. When Delsin started panicking, it was like everything was in slow motion. Sometimes he could predict it before it even happened; when it felt like everyone was staring, watching him mess up again, when he dreamed of crashing and burning with his parents. Dead, these people were dead because of him. Because he was a conduit.

 

Somehow, every goddamn screw up seemed to go back to him. Delsin fell to his knees, one hand clutching his chest and the other supporting him on the floor. They were dead and it was his fault. The thought was the only thing he could fixate on in a sea of blame. Everything was spinning out of control and it was all his fault. Betty must've hated him after seeing him in the fishery. Reggie was probably just waiting for him to wake up so he could turn him in to the DUP himself.

 

It could've been a few minutes later, could've been an hour later. Delsin really didn't know, but eventually the thoughts in his head were too exhausted to harass him. On shaky legs, he got up and forced himself to move forward. He walked through a row of x-rays, all the same shots of ankles or wrists with concrete spikes sticking through them. His stomach churned but he fixed his eyes straight ahead and kept walking. Where was Reggie? Where was Betty? I really need you, he thought.

 

Rounding a corner, Delsin almost started crying when he saw Betty lying in a bed. Her ankle was up on a few pillows, spikes coming out every which way. Delsin sat down on the side of her bed, shaking her awake. He just had to see she was even alive. If Betty died because of him he'd never forgive himself. Betty woke up with a frown, looking like she was about to tell off who ever had the nerve to wake her; her rage was cut off when she saw Delsin. Wordlessly, she pulled him into a hug.

 

"I'm so glad you're okay." She said. Delsin clung to her tightly. She was alive, she was alive and that was all that mattered.

 

"I'm so sorry." He said. Betty pulled back, giving him a stern look.

 

"It's not your fault." She held up a hand as he opened his mouth to protest. "Augustine did this, not you."

 

"She did it because of me, because I'm one of them now." He insisted, refusing to back down from Betty's stare.

 

"Listen," she put her hands on his shoulders. "You're not one of those beady eyed bio-terrorists who go around killing people willy-nilly. It's not your fault."

 

"People died because of me." He said, his fists clenched tight. "You protected me?"

 

"It's not your fault." She said. "We're Akomish, Delsin, we protect our own." Betty touched his cheek. Delsin sighed in response, eyes downcast. "If you're going to be such a buzz kill, I’m going to go back to sleep." Betty lay back down, smiling slightly at him. "Chin up, everything will be okay." She patted his shoulder once before closing her eyes. Delsin leaned over her and kissed her forehead, knowing full well she wasn't asleep.

 

"I'll fix this." He said before getting up. He went to a locker in the hall he hoped had his stuff. Reggie walked in, looking like he was on a warpath; knowing his brother, Reggie probably was. He stumbled a little when he saw Delsin rifling through the locker.

 

"Del!" He jogged over to his brother, hugging him tight. His eyes flickered down to his leg and back. "Glad fast healing seems to be a part of your new… thing." Reggie motioned vaguely to Delsin. Delsin rolled his eyes, shrugging on his vest.

 

"Yeah, well," he turned on his cell phone. There were quite a few missed calls and unread messages he never planned on opening. "When is Betty getting out of the hospital?"

 

"Delsin," Reggie touched his arm. "They're not getting better." At that, Delsin's eyes snapped up to meet his brother's. "These people are dying. It's just a matter of time. Doctors say the only way those spikes are coming out is the same way they came in."

 

"Reggie, you're a genius." Delsin said, snapping his fingers.

 

"What?" He asked, turning to follow Delsin as he practically ran out of the longhouse. "Where are we going?"

 

"Seattle! I'll explain in the truck."

 

"What truck? Oh," he scowled at his brother, "my truck." With a sigh, he unlocked the truck. Delsin climbed in, thrumming with energy.

 

"How long was I out, exactly?"

 

"About a week." He said. Delsin hummed in response. "What's your brilliant plan?"

 

"Those spikes are going out the same way the went in. Augustine has her concrete power, right? So all I gotta do is get it. I'm a power sponge, remember?" He put his feet on the dash, ignoring Reggie's glare.

 

"That would be great if Augustine wasn't surrounded by literally hundreds of soldiers." He said. Delsin shrugged in return, playing some smoke around his fingers. "You don't need to get any more powers, we need to find you a cure."

 

"What cure?" Delsin said, crossing his arms over his chest. "This is who I am now."

 

"What, being a bio-terrorist is what you want?" Reggie's hands were gripped tight on the steering wheel as he took them around a corner just a little too hard.

 

"That's just preprogrammed bullshit!" Delsin said, scowling at his brother. He opened his mouth to protest more but was stopped by the truck coming to an abrupt stop. He stumbled forward, caught almost painfully by his seatbelt. Delsin looked out the windshield, any protest fell from his lips. The road was covered in jagged concrete constructs. Cars were permanently crashing into each other; smoke made the sky thick and grey in the afternoon light. Delsin sighed, unbuckled his seat belt, and got out of the car.

 

"Del, where are you going?" Said Reggie, shouting out the partially opened truck window. Delsin turned, still walking and shrugged. Reggie got out of the truck, jogging to catch up with his brother. Delsin veered left off the highway, making his way around the DUP roadblocks. Reggie caught up, almost jogging but not quite at his left side. "We're not actually walking to Seattle, are we?"

 

"I don't know, how long do you think that would take?" Delsin said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Reggie sighed long beside him; the sound made Delsin smile. Even if the world dropped out from under him, some things never changed. Soon enough, there was a space in between the wreckage they could slip through. Concrete spikes were everywhere, cars smoking all around him. He heard a whirring sound next to him, only to find something akin to a generator.

 

He went to it, feeling the same humming under his skin. Delsin hit it with a chain, revealing the blue glow underneath. He reached a hand out to it, blue light from the generator—no the core relay—coming to his hand. His feet went off the ground briefly as he absorbed all the energy inside. He shook his hand out, revitalized by whatever he'd just done. Reggie was at his side, eyes boring into him like a search light.

 

"I think I just got more smoke." He said quietly, scanning the area for more. Reggie opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it he had to say was cut off by someone crying out for help. "Go do your thing, be a hero." He made a shooing motion, smirking at Reggie's scowl.

 

"Don't touch anything." Said Reggie, sprinting around crashed cars and concrete spikes.

 

"I'm gonna touch everything." He said. A drone whirred above his head, he shot smoke at it, satisfied when it hit the ground. Inside was a shard, and he absorbed it all the same. He shot down a few more, doing the same thing every time. "I can definitely see how this could be habit forming." Delsin looked down at his hand, his fingertips dissolved into smoke. His phone rang in his pocket and he answered it.

 

"We got a bus full of civilians, mind lending a hand?"

 

"I'm on my way." He said, hanging up before his brother could get in a word edgewise. Delsin jogged, weaving his way through the wreckage to reach Reggie. There was a bus with supplies strapped to the top, he could only assume the civilians were inside. His phone was ringing again and he answered.

 

"Everyone's on the bus, I can't convince them to leave the medical supplies behind. As you can see, that might be problematic." His brother was sitting in the driver's seat of the bus. Delsin looked to where he was motioning out the windshield, there were concrete structures down the highway. They might've served as shields at one point, Delsin wasn't sure exactly. "No, don't use your powers." Reggie said into the receiver in hushed tones. Delsin turned to the glass doors of the bus, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

 

"It's for a good cause, yeah?" Delsin said, "you love good causes. Try to keep up." He hung up the phone and ran towards the first set of barriers. Delsin raised his hand and shot missiles of smoke at them; they crumbled easily. The bus started up behind him and followed behind slowly. Reggie was probably going to kill him once he caught up. Delsin tried to ignore the thrill of the smoke dancing on his fingertips, the wind in his face, the pavement pounding under his feet. The bus followed him as he blasted barrier after barrier.

 

After what felt like seconds, but was probably much longer (Delsin honestly couldn't care less) they came upon a tunnel. There were people inside, waving guns around; they were probably looters. Delsin turned around and put his hand out, hoping Reggie got the message. Thankfully, Reggie stopped the bus. Moments later, his phone rang.

 

"What's up?"

 

"People inside, probably looters. I'll take care of them, just stay here until I call you." Delsin said, hanging up. He ran through the tunnel, almost laughing at the mental image of Reggie glaring after him. They were indeed looters, the shooting at him while going through a suitcase from one of the cars was his first clue. He turned to smoke and dashed towards him, hitting him with a chain as soon as he materialized again. Most of the others turned and ran, tail tucked proverbially between their legs. Unfortunately, the others thought they actually had a chance. Delsin subdued them quickly and took out his phone. "You're good, come on through."

 

The bus came rattling through the tunnel. He jogged in front of it. At the end of the tunnel, the road was clear of barriers. Delsin followed it for a while longer until they came to the last tunnel before the bridge. He came around to the side of the bus, knocking on the glass doors to be let in. When the doors didn't budge, Delsin called Reggie.

 

"You're not making me walk to Seattle, right?" He said, leaning up against the glass.

 

"They're scared of you, Del." He said, making uncomfortable eye contact with Delsin.

 

"Seriously? I just helped them! Do they want me to pull a Rosa Parks and sit at the back of the bus?"

 

"They don't want you on the bus at all." Reggie said. Delsin stared at him, trying to process exactly what Reggie was telling him. He lashed out, hitting the glass door hard enough to make a crack. People gasped, one kid started screaming as though he was killing them. Delsin could hear it all through the receiver. "Del, stop."

 

"Fine," he said, gritting his teeth. Delsin stepped away from the bus, one hand clenched.

 

"Listen, let me just take them across the bridge. I'll be back in five minutes, I promise." Reggie said, making eye contact with Delsin on the other side of the glass. Delsin didn't say anything as he glared at Reggie through the glass. "Five minutes."

 

"If you must." Delsin said finally. Reggie nodded at him before starting up the bus. Delsin watched it go and grit his teeth.

 

"I'm turning on your GPS tracking so we can find each other if we get separated."

 

"Like right now?" Delsin said, smirking when Reggie sighed.

 

"Would it kill you to not be a smart ass for once in your life?"

 

"I don't know, maybe it's all part of my new thing." Delsin said, staring at the scenery in a feeble attempt to keep calm. The monotony of pine trees on all sides was almost soothing, it was the only constant in this chaos. Reggie didn't say anything on the other end of the line. Passengers were whispering in the background, probably about him. He tried to ignore it.

 

All at once, there was a crash and a flood of dust came through the tunnel. He was knocked flat on his ass by it, his phone flying out of his hand. Delsin got up with a groan, relieved to find his phone was intact. He picked it up, hand shaking. The screen was cracked a little and his call with Reggie dropped. Delsin put it in the pocket of his jeans and sprinted through the tunnel. Dust filled his vision and he coughed, smoke filled his lungs. Delsin put his head down and ran, making his way through the wreckage.

 

Delsin stopped short at the other side, gaping at the destruction in front of him. The bridge over the bay to Seattle was completely trashed. Collapsed structures below lead parts of the bridge down into the sea, the cars stacked behind each other in crashed gridlock. Delsin walked to the edge of the bridge. There was a section probably twenty feet above him. His phone rang again and he almost considered not answering it.

 

"Are you okay?" Delsin said, hoping his brother was safe on the other side of the destruction.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where are you?"

 

"The other side." He said. Reggie sighed long, and Delsin could picture him sitting in the driver's seat, pinching his nose in one hand. There was a core relay beeping in front of him.

 

"Find a way back, I'll meet you in Salmon Bay."

 

"I'm just supposed to go back to the longhouse and pretend this never happened?" Delsin said, fist clenching tight around the phone. "Everything is my fault and I have to make it right." There was no reply, only silence on the other end of the line.

 

"It wasn't your fault." Reggie said finally, voice wavering slightly.

 

"Like hell it wasn't." Delsin concentrated on the waves lapping at the shore below, made his breathing match the steady in and out of water on the sand. "I can't go home."

 

"Okay," Reggie said. "Just be careful, alright? Find a way around and I'll meet you in Seattle."

 

"Yeah," he said softly. Delsin wondered if he should say something else. _In case we don't make it out of this. I hope we see each other again. I love you, brother._ He hung up instead. He went to the core relay and absorbed the power, adding more to his quickly growing repertoire. Delsin ran to the nearest car, hopped on top, and used smoke to propel him upwards. His stomach dropped as he fell, landing on the bridge unsteadily. Delsin started running, afraid that if he stopped he'd lose his nerve. He sprinted across the slowly collapsing bridge, jumping from car to car. Finally, he made it across. There was a checkpoint filled with DUP soldiers to greet him. Reggie was leaning against the bus, foot tapping the pavement.

 

"Hey," he said, pushing off the bus. Reggie hugged Delsin briefly, eyes crinkling at the corner. "Glad you made it across safely."

 

"Yeah," he said, eyeing the checkpoint behind Reggie. "How are we gonna get past that?"

 

"I don't know," he said. "Just act natural." Reggie said before turning and walking casually up to the checkpoint. Delsin followed behind, heart beating wildly as they got closer to the DUP guards. Reggie went first, putting his palm on the scanner with a veneer of calmness; his slightly shaking hand was the only thing betraying him. Then again, that was only if you knew where to look. Delsin took a deep breath and walked to the scanner, silently willing for his new powers to go unnoticed. However, because Delsin was Delsin, and the world just loved to mock him the scanner turned red around his hand and sounded an alarm.

 

That was all it took for the DUP guards to turn their guns on him. Delsin lashed out at one of them with the chain, catching him in the jaw with a satisfying smack. The other DUP soldier's finger tightened around the trigger, only to be stopped by Reggie, whose trigger finger was faster. Delsin and Reggie ran together, working in tandem to get past the DUP soldiers. They all came out of the woodworks, all eager to shoot at him. There were at least three on a bridge, and Delsin shot the support structures out so it came toppling down around them. What was that saying about two birds one stone? Delsin thought they probably didn't mean it so literally.

 

A civilian was on the ground next to him, clutching at their bleeding leg. He helped them up, healing their wounds. Well, Delsin thought, maybe that would get him a better rep. He was, wrong as usual when the civilian turned and ran away from him. As he escaped from the seemingly infinite amount of DUP soldiers, his phone rang.

 

"Are you okay? Where are you?" Reggie almost shouted into the receiver. Delsin ducked into an ally, holding the phone close to his chest as DUP ran right past him.

 

"I’m okay," he whispered. "Just uh, laying low."

 

"Uh huh," Reggie said, clearly not convinced. "Keep laying low, I'll call you later." Reggie said before hanging up. Delsin stuffed his phone back into his pocket, pulling his hood up before he walked out the other entrance to the ally. DUP were swarming everywhere, still looking for him. He walked through the crowds slowly, hoping nobody would suddenly recognize him in the sea of faces. It was the only thing that day that'd gone right. Delsin made his way through the crowd, blending in seamlessly. His phone rang again and he ducked under a covered doorway. It led to an old abandoned building with caution tape and graffiti marking the windows.

 

"Got something for me?"

 

"The DUP has eyes and ears everywhere according to the police department."

 

"How do we get rid of them?" Delsin looked around, almost paranoid that their call itself was being monitored.

 

"The DUP has a mobile command center near you. Are you sure you can handle it?"

 

"Wow, your trust in me is inspiring." He said, deadpan. Reggie sighed into the receiver.

 

"Shut it down and you'll limit their ability to track you."

 

"Mobile command center, got it." He said. Delsin got back in the crowd, and almost had a heart attack when he walked past a crowd of DUP soldiers standing at the corner. "What does one of those look like?" He asked as he walked by them. When neither of them tried to shoot him, Delsin figured he was okay.

 

"Should be a large, heavily armored mobile unit." He said. Delsin hummed in response and made his way out of the crowd and into an alley. He smoked through the vents, turning back once he was on top of a roof. From there, he could see what he hoped was the mobile command center.

 

"I think I got it. RV with panels on it and a shit ton of DUP around, right?"

 

"Yeah," he said, probably rolling his eyes at Delsin's description. "Those panels are vents, destroy them and the core will overheat."

 

"Then I destroy the core and everything goes boom," Delsin said, nodding. "Good plan. Listen, I gotta go ruin someone's day; I'll call you when I'm done." He said before hanging up. He smoked to another rooftop, getting a better vantage point of the area below. Delsin lined up a shot of smoke and started destroying panels. It didn't take long for the DUP to find exactly who was causing havoc. Getting shot multiple times should've hurt, yet he barely felt anything.

 

A DUP soldier propelled himself off the ground using concrete, much to Delsin's surprise. Maybe he wouldn't need Augustine after all. He fought back with the chain and subdued him moments later. Delsin smoked to another rooftop and started shooting vents on the other side. A warning was shrieking through the air from loudspeakers on top of the DUP buildings. Despite everything, Delsin was actually enjoying himself. That thought, however, would definitely be something he'd never tell Reggie. Shouldn't he be like, praying for forgiveness or something? Instead he was grinning into the wind as he used smoke to float down to the ground.

 

He took out a few more DUP soldiers, his concentration broken by people shouting for help behind him. There were large cages that almost looked like they were for cattle, except that people were inside. He ran to them and ripped the door clean off, moving aside as screaming civilians ran past him. Delsin did the same to the other cage and waited for them to leave before climbing on top of the mobile command unit. The core relay inside was beeping at him as he lifted it. What was the best way to do this? Should he shoot it? Already there were sirens on DUP vehicles coming closer, so he had to figure out something quickly. Delsin punched it, ripping out some of its circuitry; it started smoking after a few hits and Delsin took that as his cue to leave.

 

He smoked down from the vehicle, pushed forward by the explosion. He landed gracelessly on his knees a few feet away. Dusting off his jeans, he turned to admire his handiwork. A DUP truck hurtled into the parking lot, sirens going off as the back doors opened. A man in heavy concrete armor with what looked to be a mini gun stepped out. Oh, he thought, oh shit. More DUP soldiers came flooding into the lot, Delsin shot at them with smoke, rolling out of the way of the mini gun more than once. Delsin almost considered running away when he remembered the civilians, the ones detained by the DUP.

 

No, he thought, nobody else is gonna die because of me. Delsin turned and fired off smoke missiles as fast as he could. DUP soldiers were on all sides of him, he took them out one at a time before concentrating on the big guy. It could've been five minutes, it could've been an hour he was fighting the big guy, Delsin didn't know. When he finally fell and Delsin subdued him, he was breathing heavy, sweat dripping off his brow. Delsin wiped his brow with his jacket sleeve, hands on his knees. His phone rang, breaking the monotony of sirens going off all around him.

 

"I have an idea." Reggie said.

 

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Delsin said, still slightly out of breath.

 

"I knew you would be. Listen, those DUP guys have concrete powers, right? So just get it from one of them and we can go home. If it doesn't work, we can go home anyways."

 

"I'll see about it. I'm not going home until I get concrete." He said before ending the call. There were blue glowing shards all around him, scattered across the pavement and some even sticking out of walls. Delsin absorbed them all, feeling revitalized with each one. Finally he came to the big guy subdued on the floor. He put his hand on the first inch of skin available; unfortunately that happened to be the guy's super sweaty hand. Delsin wrinkled his nose and did it anyways, anticipating the rush of memory's that'd come when he stole the other guy's powers. Nothing happened. His phone rang again. Geez, what was with Reggie and his impatience?

 

"Did it work?"

 

"I'll call you back," Delsin said, standing up. "I've got DUPs coming at me from all over!" He hoped Reggie wouldn't call him on his bluff, and hung up before his brother had a chance. There were more sirens approaching, signaling the arrival of more DUP soldiers; well, he thought, at least I wasn't completely lying to him. He smoked through a vent and escaped via the rooftops, which was a phrase he never thought he could apply to his own life. Was he a superhero now? Smokeman? Captain Smokeman? Maybe he should buy a spandex suit.

 

When he could no longer hear the sirens, Delsin dropped into an alley and called his brother.

 

"You get out okay?" Reggie asked, tight concern laced in his voice. Wow, way to pour on the guilt there, he thought.

 

"Yeah, I'm good. Listen, I really hate to ask but do you think your cop friends could find me more core relays?"

 

"Absolutely not," he said. Delsin could hear the frown in his voice, could almost picture him with that joke stress ball gift he'd gotten him for a birthday some years ago. When Reggie ended up actually using it, well, Delsin probably deserved that.

 

"Well I guess I better go up against super mega conduit now." He said, leaning against a wall in the alley. "Best not put it off any longer, Augustine may kill me but hey, at least I tried."

 

"Delsin," he said in a tone that Delsin knew meant he was pushing it. "Fine, I'll mark it on your GPS."

 

"You're the best." He said before hanging up. Only moments later his phone was beeping at him; with a grin he opened up his GPS. Red pins on the map marked the locations of various core relays around Seattle. He opened a text from Reggie: _they'll all be heavily guarded, be careful._ Delsin texted him back with various emojis, which Reggie didn't dignify with a response. He huffed a little and put his phone back in his pocket. It was almost five o'clock, so he probably had an hour or two of daylight left.

 

That was, of course, plenty of time to wreak havoc.

 

***

 

**June18 th, 2018**

Motels weren't actually that bad. Sure, maybe the room smelled musty and the mattress wasn't super but at least it wasn't a jail cell. It wasn't home either. Delsin winced as he combed out a particularly stubborn knot in his long brown hair. The door muffled Reggie's conversation on the phone, not that he particularly cared what his brother had to say to his new best friends in the Seattle police department. He was flipping through channels with one hand and combing out his still damp hair with the other. He skipped past the news channel, having no interest in whatever they had to say about him. Delsin thought the energy from the last core relay he smashed would burn off soon, and yet he still felt like he could run laps around Seattle.

 

Reggie entered the room, the soft click of the door behind him. Delsin wanted to make some sort of snide comment, lighten the tense mood even just a little, but his mind was blanking.

 

"Wanna hit up the space needle tomorrow?" Delsin asked, finally giving up on making his brother laugh. Reggie just shrugged, staring blankly at the TV. He'd take it. "Your friends in blue got anything interesting?"

 

"Maybe," he said as he picked up paper plates and soda cans. He put them in the trashcan by the dresser and put his jacket on the chair. Tomorrow they'd probably actually have to buy clothes; neither knew how long they'd be in Seattle, and the bridge was most definitely destroyed so there would be no trips back to Salmon Bay for necessities. Delsin combed through his hair one more time before heading back to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth with the thin plastic one provided by the motel.

 

He headed back to bed, getting under the thin covers. Reggie went to the bathroom and Delsin turned off the light. Turning the volume of the TV down, Delsin lay on his stomach with his face shoved in the pillow. He wondered if it'd be impossible to sneak out and try to burn off any of his energy. Reggie came back in the room and lay in his bed. His brother was a light sleeper, so unless amazing ninja skills came with being a conduit Delsin was stuck in the cramped motel room until morning.

 

"Good night," said Reggie.

 

"Night," said Delsin.

 

It was worse, at night, when he was alone with his thoughts.

 

***

 

**June 24 th, 2018**

It was slow going in the city, trying to drive the DUP out of each district. Everyday he hoped for a new lead, maybe on one of the escaped DUP conduits or on Augustine. Yet everyday all he did was wander the city, pushing the DUP out slowly but surely. He'd been in Seattle a week and already it felt like everything had come to a standstill. Delsin was sitting on a roof, whistling and swinging his legs back and forth. His phone rang and he answered it, ever hopeful.

 

"I've got something for you." Said Reggie. Delsin grinned and stood up. "One of the escaped DUP prisoners seems to have a grudge on some guys in the city. Three bodies were found, I'm sending you the coordinates now."

 

"You're a treasure." Delsin said before hanging up. He grinned at his phone, almost laughing at what was surely Reggie's bewildered expression. His phone beeped again and he pulled up his map, heading to the nearest crime scene. Surely, he thought, it had to be illegal to tell civilians about crime scenes. Going against the book wasn't really Reggie's thing, his goody two shoes nature always prevented him letting go or doing anything fun. Next Reggie could be smiling regularly, maybe even have a hobby outside of reading and glaring at Delsin.

 

The body pinned to a wall by what looked to be glowing spikes, and surrounded by graffiti. Not the regular kind either, it looked as if someone did it with neon. Which meant the conduit had neon. It wasn't exactly badass explosions, but it would probably help. He took pictures and sent them to Reggie, who texted him back saying the guy was a drug dealer. Was it a coincidence? He headed to the next crime scene, and again the guy turned out to be a drug dealer. The last one was the same. What was the guy's deal with drug dealers? Not that they were exactly shining examples of humanity, but.

 

Luckily, he could still see neon in the air and hoped it was a path leading to the conduit. He followed it, wondering where in the world the conduit could be hiding. Why would they go to Seattle in the first place? It was crawling with DUP bastards, not exactly the most incognito place to go. Then again, the conduit seemed to have some personal problems. Delsin hoped he'd catch them before they left.

 

The path ended going up a tall office building, and he really didn't think he'd find the conduit up there. So he wandered Seattle, terrorizing DUP soldiers and trying to get people to stop screaming when he helped them. His phone rang later in the afternoon.

 

"So, apparently the space needle is a communications hub for the DUP. Want to wreck it?"

 

"I thought you'd never ask." Delsin said with a grin before hanging up. One day Reggie was going to chew him out for hanging up on him all the damn time, but Delsin couldn't bring himself to care. He actually tried to blend in with the crowd for a bit until he got to the space needle itself. He propelled himself upwards; laughing when the DUP realized what was going on. Delsin actually lost count of all the DUP dipshits he had to punch in the face. It wasn't like he enjoyed hurting them, but they usually didn't give him a choice. He could subdue them in the end anyways.

 

Eventually they stopped coming, so Delsin turned his attention to the core relay. He hit it with his chain until it overheated and jumped to a safe distance. Delsin absorbed its power, adding a new trick to his ever-growing repertoire. Next, he messed up all the satellites, glad that civilians below decided to leave. All that was left was a banner with the DUP logo. Delsin grinned as he lowered it, pulling cans of spray paint out of his backpack. Oh man, he was going to have a good time fucking with everyone. In the end, he settled on copying the eagle design he'd been drawing on everything since he came up with it years ago.

 

To add insult to injury, he attached it to their flagpole and raised it. Augustine would definitely know who'd been fucking with her operation. It was most definitely worth it. He called Reggie as he made his way through a crowd, many of them staring at the banner.

 

"Have I mentioned today that you're the best?" Delsin said, smiling.

 

"You called me a treasure earlier, so yes." Reggie said, deadpan. Delsin snorted in response. "Good job on the banner by the way."

 

"You know me, just asserting my talent." He said, laughing when Reggie groaned on the other end of the line. "I'll see you at the motel tonight, yeah?" He asked.

 

"Yeah, see you then." Said Reggie. The line clicked and went dead, and Delsin paused in the middle of the sidewalk. Reggie actually hung up on him. The tables had officially turned. He shook his head, smiling fondly at his phone. Delsin stuffed it back in his pocket and went back to being a general pain in the DUP's ass soon afterward.

 

Banner Man, he later decided, was literally the lamest superhero name ever. He wanted to punch the person who came up with it in the face. Repeatedly.

 

***

 

**June 26 th, 2018**

If he was a neon conduit, where would he spend his days contemplating murder? It was the question that haunted him as he ate pizza in the new motel. After staying a week in that first motel, they both decided it was safer if they kept moving. Maybe the conduit was next door, Delsin wouldn't even know. Where else would they be? The Seattle police kept finding bodies, but no killer. Maybe they were very literal about their powers and were hiding somewhere behind a neon sign. No, Delsin laughed at the thought, that was ridiculous. Then he thought of the biggest neon sign he saw, and wondered if they could live in the space between. Son of a bitch. He took out his phone to call Reggie.

 

"Sherlock Holmes can kiss my ass, I'm pretty sure I solved the mystery of where the conduit is hiding." He said in a rush, only pausing to take a breath when he finished his sentence. Silence met his words and he could just picture his brother blinking owlishly, just like all the other times Delsin said something incredibly strange.

 

"Lay it on me," Reggie said a few moments later.

 

"If I was obsessed with neon, I'd be in a spot surrounded by the stuff. You know that big ass sign downtown? The one with the crab in a top hat."

 

"It can't be that easy."

 

"You just don't want to admit I'm right and your boys in blue are wrong." He said. Reggie sighed on the other end of the line. "Listen, I'll check it out and if I'm wrong you can laugh at me."

 

"Fine," he said. "Just don't break your neck climbing up there or anything." He said. Delsin scoffed before hanging up. Break his neck? Yeah right, if anything Delsin would do some cool Spider Man move and impress all the people standing nearby. He wondered if there were any conduits with powers like that. Delsin threw the pizza box in the trash and put the leftovers in the mini fridge before grabbing his jacket and leaving the motel room.

 

He always loved the sea breeze buffeting against his face as he raced down the seaside road. People, in the beginning, screamed and pointed. As time went on and he didn't hurt civilians, they merely got out of his way. It was an improvement in Delsin's book. He reached the sign and climbed up, bracing himself for whatever lay in store for him. Surprisingly, it wasn't horrifying. He started sending Reggie pictures. There was a sleeping bag, a stack of books with an obviously well loved copy of _Jane Eyre,_ and a man's name written in neon everywhere.

 

Who was Brent? Was that lavender? Yeah, it was definitely the best smelling hideout he'd ever been in. There was a clothesline with various items of clothing hanging from it: a bra, a pair of socks, even a pair what looked to be pajama pants. He was careful not to disturb anything in the hideout; he wanted to catch the conduit when they came back. So Delsin settled down in a café across from the billboard and waited.

 

Delsin didn't think he could fall asleep after drinking eight cups of coffee. He was wrong.

 

***

 

Delsin was rudely awoken by his phone ringing. He picked it up and answered with a groan.

 

"Did you see the conduit yet?" Reggie said, almost impatiently.

 

"No," he rubbed his eyes. "Not yet."

 

"Well just keep a lookout." Reggie said. There was a pause, and Delsin didn't really want to hang up just yet. "You sound tired. You didn't fall asleep, right?"

 

"No," Delsin protested immediately. Reggie chuckled on the other end of the line. "Well, maybe for a few minutes."

 

"Get a coffee or something, and call me when you see them."

 

"Will do," he said before hanging up. Delsin stretched in his seat by the window, rubbing his cheek; it had red indents on it from his jacket. He went to the bathroom and then ordered another coffee. Evening was descending on Seattle, hazy pinks melded to red to purple to navy blue. His ass was starting to get sore from sitting in one place for too long. He hoped the conduit would show up soon. Delsin played stupid games on his phone to try and keep himself occupied. Maybe he could beat his high score.

 

After waiting another hour, the conduit finally arrived. From what he could tell, it was a girl with pink hair. Details were hard to make out from a distance.

 

"Hey," he said into the phone when his brother answered. "The conduit is here, I'll let you know what happens. Can I say the eagle is in the nest?" Delsin said, laughing when Reggie groaned. "I'll take that as a no." He said and then hung up. Delsin made his way to the roof, careful to take the ladder instead of just flying up with smoke. There really was no reason to startle the conduit into fleeing before he got a chance to talk to her.

 

"Oh man that smells good," she said to herself. "Wish I'd lifted some money from that last dealer, money be my friend." She paused and turned, face going pale when she saw him.

 

"Hey wait!" He said, putting his hands up in surrender. "I'm a conduit too." Delsin flew a few embers off his fingers, hoping it would calm her down. It seemed to have the opposite effect. She turned and, lighting up with neon. Shit, she was gonna get away. Delsin smoked to her, grabbing her hand before she jumped off the roof. He got a hold of one her hands, bracing himself for memories. It was too much too fast, he saw her on the run with someone (Brent?) and killing him, being in Curdun Cay, escaping.

 

She screamed and wrenched her hand from his before taking off. Delsin got up where he was knocked flat on his ass, felt the neon just under his skin. It was different from the smoke, brighter, realer, more present. He started running, taking off with the same speed the conduit did. Just like the smoke, he couldn't control it. All he could do was try and keep up. Delsin almost caught up with her, only to be outpaced. Soon enough, her trail led him to what looked to be a warehouse on the outside. Delsin came to a screeching stop in front of it, taking out his phone to call Reggie.

 

"We're at a warehouse at 34th and Main." He said, Delsin hung up before Reggie could respond. He jumped through a broken window, realizing it was full of neon signs.

 

"I'm not going back!" She screamed, a neon bolt flying at him. He ducked just in time and ran behind one of the signs. He drained neon from the sign. "Leave me alone!" She said when Delsin ducked out of cover. With a curse, he hid behind the sign again. She yelled curses at him. For what seemed like a long time he dodged her shots and they almost danced around each other in the warehouse. Finally, all the signs were drained and she had no energy left.

 

"Come on powers," he muttered to himself. "I know you're in there, surprise me." Delsin held out his hand and gathered neon energy. He shot it at her, and with no more power she had no way to defend herself. Delsin ran at her and grabbed her hands, she screamed and clawed at him but he held on tight.

 

_When I was little, I never thought I'd have powers. I never thought I'd be one of them. My parents turned me in, even knowing what they'd do to me. I was lost with no idea what to do; but my brother, Brent, grabbed our coats and we ran. We lived day to day on the streets. Moving from city to city, no comfort anywhere. Until we met some dealers and man, they hooked us up. The drugs were paradise, an escape from a harsh homeless reality. But we could never get enough. The withdrawal was agony; we were always looking for a fix. So when you think someone stole your stash, the drugs and dealers make you do horrible shit. They make you… Oh god Brent, I'm…_

_The government picked me up easy enough after that. It wasn't a normal jail; they trained me to kill, honed me as a weapon. So when we crashed, I escaped with everything they taught me. I had everything I needed to set things right. Brent, I promise every dealer I find I'm gonna burn your name in their chest. No one else is gonna suffer like we did, no brother, nobody else._

 

"Hey, Del, wake up." Reggie was shaking him awake on the floor of the warehouse. Delsin blinked, head aching from the onslaught of her memories. "You did good, here let's get you up." He pulled his brother up and patted him on the back, catching Delsin when he stumbled a little. "I know just where to put people like her, she won't be hurting anybody else."

 

"Hey wait," he put his hand on Reggie's shoulder. "She's just killing drug dealers."

 

"She's murdering people." Reggie turned, affixing his brother with a critical look he was all too familiar with.

 

"What do you think I'm doing with the DUP, braiding their hair and making daisy chains?" Delsin sidestepped around his brother, trying to get to the conduit as she was waking up.

 

"That's different," Reggie snapped, holding Delsin in place with both hands on his arms. "You're not like them. You're doing it to save the Akomish back home."

 

"No, man, she stays free." He pushed past him, only to have his wrist caught by Reggie. He spun around, snarling at him.

 

"Just because you're both conduits doesn't mean she gets a free pass to murder people! Listen, having the same affliction doesn't change anything." Reggie said. Delsin felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His feet were rooted to the ground, a million things on the tip of his tongue. An affliction? So what, Delsin was just a useful tool? "I'm never going to abandon you, but she's going to prison whether you like it or not." The girl was sitting up by now, and when she heard that last bit she got up and started running. Reggie pursued her, grabbing her and holding her in place even as she struggled.

 

Delsin stood there like a statue, mind still reeling from what Reggie said. He was a disease, a tumor. He willed himself to keep calm, to not hyperventilate. It was easier said than done. The room was spinning and he was an affliction. Delsin was just like the others, a killer, a reckless maniac. He was brought back sharply to reality when the conduit started screaming curses at his brother.

 

"She'll be my responsibility." He said, scowling when Reggie scoffed at the notion.

 

"Yes, because you just excel at being responsible."

 

"Come on, brother, do this for me." He said, catching his brother's eye. Reggie shoved her at him, shaking his head.

 

"I'm here for the tribe, not to haul in bio-terrorists." He said before turning on his heel.

 

"I'm a conduit!" She said, making a face at his retreating form.

 

"Hey," he put a hand in front of her, hoping to stop her from going after him. "He's cool, just not today apparently."

 

"I see that," she looked at him, green eyes flinty.

 

"I'm Delsin." He said, not bothering to extend a hand for her to shake. She really didn't seem the type.

 

"Fetch," she said. They stood there in an awkward silence for a few minutes before she cleared her throat and inclined her head towards a set of doors. "Let's talk." Fetch spun on her heel, not waiting for Delsin to follow. The warehouse was close to the sea, so they walked on the sidewalk and listened to the waves crash in and out.

 

"You got a place to stay besides that sign?"

 

"Nah," she said, shrugging. Delsin frowned, wondering if she'd accept any of his help. "Why, you got a mansion or something?"

 

"If you're amenable, a room at yonder motel awaits ye." He said, smiling. She looked at him like he was a freak. It was an expression he was slowly getting used to. Hell, sometimes Delsin thought they were right.

 

"Okay Shakespeare," Fetch said as she punched his arm. "You're not like, I don't know, a robot come to take me back to Augustine right?"

 

"No," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Does she have robots?"

 

"I don't know." She said. Delsin chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It kinda seems like she would, right?"

 

"How do we know Augustine isn't a robot herself?"

 

"Oh my god you're a genius." Fetch said, rolling her eyes. Delsin led her back to the motel; both of them content to walk in silence. It was nice. Usually Delsin was playing the fool, making jokes or being a general nuisance. For whatever reason, he didn't feel like he had to with her. Delsin knew he didn't have to try and fill the silence. Besides, Fetch would probably punch him. She messed with the runs in her tights as they walked, ripping off threads and dropping them on the sidewalk. They finally arrived, and he was surprised to see the light wasn't on. Reggie probably decided that making himself scarce was better for his health.

 

"Welcome to my casa," he said, doing a wide sweep with one arm after he flicked on the lights. There were only two beds and one armchair. "I wonder if they have cots." Delsin said as Fetch hesitantly wandered into the room. The way she stood light on her feet, nervously looking around like everything was a trap broke his heart. Fetch was like a fawn wandering through a forest in hunting season. Something in his chest clenched, his jaw set tight. No. She wasn't ever going back to Curdun Cay.

 

"It's…" She trailed off, shrugging. "Cozy?"

 

"That's one way to describe it." Delsin said, shaking his head. "Personally I would've gone with musty or maybe even lame." He caught her eye for a moment, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I'm gonna go see about a cot." He jerked his thumb to the door. "There are some takeout menus around, feel free to order whatever." Delsin turned and opened the door, pausing in the doorway for only a moment. "Just don't go crazy." He said before shutting the door behind him.

 

The walk to the front desk was short and Delsin was pleased to find that yes, they did have cots. The guy in front with a nametag that read "Esteban" was plenty eager to help him carry it back. He was probably bored to death on the graveyard shift, and Delsin honestly didn't blame him. He opened the door, expecting to see Fetch devouring takeout; instead she was asleep on his bed. Fetch was almost sitting up, hands folded on her lap with the TV on a low volume in the background. Esteban and Delsin carefully maneuvered the cot in between the two beds, trying not to wake her up.

 

"Thanks man," Delsin whispered at the doorway. Esteban grinned and gave him a thumbs up before turning on his heel. Delsin closed the door quietly and turned off the light. His feet suddenly felt very heavy as he wandered over to the bathroom, kicking off his shoes on the way. Delsin brushed his teeth and took off his hoodie, combing through his hair and hoping it wouldn't be a rat's nest in the morning. He turned off the light in the bathroom and walked past Fetch asleep on the bed.

 

Delsin turned off the TV and set the remote on the nightstand between the two beds. There was some orange light from the street lamps outside coming through the window. In the soft glow Fetch almost looked carefree. From the flickers he'd gotten of her life, well, it was a wonder she was alive. Delsin wasn't sure he would've been strong enough to survive it. Not just the fighting or the withdrawal but… If he killed Reggie, even on accident, he wasn't sure if he'd ever forgive himself. Delsin shook his head as if he could simply rid himself of the thought. He grabbed the blankets bunched up at the end of the bed and pulled them over Fetch.

 

After what felt like an eternity, Delsin practically collapsed onto his cot. Despite the nap he'd taken earlier he still felt dead on his feet. He pulled up the quilt Esteban gave him and rolled over onto his stomach, the thin pillow resting over one of his arms. He wondered where Reggie was. Probably staying with one of his police buddies. He'd called him an affliction. Delsin desperately wanted him not to mean it. It was something he said in the heat of the moment, right? Reggie probably didn't mean it. Delsin closed his eyes, stubbornly refusing to open them until he fell asleep. His brother would be back in the morning.

 

Reggie promised he'd never leave Delsin, and he was always irritatingly true to his word.

 

***

 

**June 27 th, 2018**

Delsin woke up before Fetch, surprisingly enough. He was known for sleeping past noon on most days, much to Reggie and Betty's exasperation. It was Reggie closing the door and cursing softly when it squeaked that woke him. Delsin rolled over, momentarily forgetting he was on a narrow cot instead of the bed. He landed gracelessly on the floor with a thump, tangled in the sheets.

 

"Fuck me," he groaned, rubbing the spot on his forehead that collided with the wooden nightstand. Delsin rolled over and glared at Reggie, who was biting his lip to keep from laughing. Fetch sat up and stretched, making no effort to conceal her laughter. With absolutely no help from the two of them, he managed to untangle himself and stand up. Delsin threw the sheets down on the cot, making a face at them. "You're buying breakfast for that." He said, shooting a glare at Reggie before making his way to the bathroom.

 

There were indents from the pillow on his face, and he rubbed at the ineffectually with one hand and brushed his teeth with the other. It went silent in the motel room behind him; only the sound of Fetch snorting assured him they weren't murdering each other. After brushing his teeth Delsin twisted his hair into the usual bun and shoved it into his red beanie. He grabbed some clothes from a duffle bag on the bathroom tile and changed quickly before heading back into the bedroom.

 

"You're not staying long, are you?" Reggie said, crossing his arms over his chest. Fetch rolled her eyes at him. "Delsin, tell me this isn't permanent."

 

"So what, she should just be homeless?" Delsin said, glaring at his brother. They stared at each other, neither willing to back down. "I'm not kicking her out." He said. Fetch was smirking at Reggie, who sighed long before nodding slightly. "Come on, let's get some breakfast." He said before walking out of the motel rom, not bothering to see if anyone was following him. Fetch jogged to catch up with him as Reggie locked the motel room door behind them.

 

"Ya know, when you first said you had a motel room I thought maybe you were some kind of pervert." She said, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. Delsin raised an eyebrow at her, and Fetch shrugged in return.

 

"That's fair." He said as Reggie caught up with them. Reggie walked on Delsin's right, as far away from Fetch as he could be. "You got anything for me?" He asked Reggie.

 

"No, no leads on the other escaped conduit." He said. The three of them turned a corner, falling back into an uncomfortable silence. Delsin wasn't entirely sure how to break the silence. _So, Fetch, how long have you been murdering drug dealers?_ Yeah, that wasn't exactly a good icebreaker. A little further down the street was a diner Reggie and Delsin frequented for breakfast. Delsin held the door open for them and followed them to a booth.

 

Fetch and Delsin sat on one side, Reggie on the other. A waitress obnoxiously chewing gum with a nametag that said 'Joyce' came to their table with a pad of paper and pen.

 

"What can I get for y'all?" She said.

 

"Well, Joyce," Delsin barely glanced at the menu. "I would like some waffles with a cup of coffee. He will have the breakfast special of the day and also some coffee." Delsin pointed at his brother, who rolled his eyes when Delsin ordered for him. "What do you want, Fetch?" He said. Fetch's face was buried in the menu and she held a finger up as if to tell him to hold on a moment.

 

"I will have the…" She trailed off as her eyes scanned the laminated pages. "Strawberry crepes with a cup of coffee as well." Fetch put the menu down on the table. Joyce nodded, writing it all down. Delsin gathered the menus and handed them back to Joyce.

 

"Thank you," he said as she walked away to help another table. Fetch relaxed in her seat, drumming her fingers on the table. "So, what's the plan?" He said, only to be met with silence. Fetch shrugged. "Well that's helpful."

 

"Aren't you supposed to have a plan? I thought you were the responsible one." Reggie said. Delsin glared at him in response.

 

"I gotta take out the rest of the drug dealers." Fetch said. Delsin elbowed her in the ribs hard and she smacked his arm. Why would she say that in front of Reggie? Did she have no filter?

 

"We're not gonna murder anyone, cool your jets Reggie." He said when Reggie scowled at him. "Right?" He looked to Fetch, who shrugged again. "No, no murder is officially off the table, okay?" Delsin said, feeling as if he was scolding a small child. "We'll find a way to subdue them, Reggie can take them to jail; he loves arresting people, trust me on this."

 

"Fine, we'll do it your way." Fetch said, tucking a piece of pink hair behind her ear. Their coffee arrived a moment later. Fetch opened no less than five packets of sugar and poured them in, stirring it with one of the wooden sticks provided by Joyce. A packet of powdered vanilla creamer was next into her mug. At this point, Delsin was sure her coffee was at least half sugar. Reggie took his coffee black, and looked at Fetch with a mixture of awe and disgust. Delsin poured in a pack of sugar and one of creamer. Sure, he wasn't hugely fond of coffee straight up, but that didn't mean he had to drink an ungodly amount of sugar.

 

If Fetch noticed them staring at her she didn't react. It wasn't until she took her first sip that she shot them a look; _don't judge me,_ it seemed to say.

 

"So, Fetch," Delsin said. "Where you from?"

 

"Why?" She asked, setting her mug down hard on the table. Fetch pinned him with an intense green gaze and his brain was scrambling to come up with some clever comeback. Both Fetch and Reggie were staring at him; Delsin realized he'd been silent too long.

 

"We're gonna be working together, don't you think we should know a bit about each other?" He said, hoping it didn't sound too lame. Fetch raised an eyebrow, and okay yeah that might've been a little lame.

 

"You start."

 

"Okay," he said before taking another sip of coffee. "I'm from Salmon Bay, born and raised. It's not too far from here, actually."

 

"New Jersey," she said. Delsin nodded, waiting for her to elaborate. "What's your favorite color?"

 

"Um," he said, fumbling for a response. He honestly thought she was going to elaborate. "Blue? I think. I'm gonna make an educated guess and say your favorite is pink."

 

"Incredible. How did you know?" She said, deadpan. Delsin chuckled in response. He glanced over at Reggie, who was messing around on his phone. Probably one of his new cop buddies. Or maybe Betty learned how to text. They were interrupted when Joyce came with their food. Fetch tucked in as if she hadn't eaten in days. Knowing how she'd been living before last night, Delsin wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Delsin poured syrup all over his waffles before cutting them into neat little squares.

 

Fetch was already halfway done by the time Delsin got around to eating. Reggie's phone started buzzing on the table and he answered it.

 

"This is Reggie," he said. The person on the other line must've been really longwinded because Reggie sat there and nodded along for probably five minutes. Delsin kept eating, figuring it was probably one of his cop buddies. "Alright, be there in a few minutes." He said before hanging up. He finished his meal quickly and put a few twenty-dollar bills on the table. "I'll be back later."

 

"Your best friends in blue got something for you?" Delsin said, trying in vain not to sound sulky.

 

"Yeah, it's really important. I'll text you." Reggie said before turning on his heel and walking out of the diner.

 

"Can you believe that guy?" Delsin said, shaking his head. "I swear he likes his cop friends more than he likes me."

 

"Screw him, like seriously." Fetch said, pushing her empty plate aside. Delsin shot her a look and she scoffed. "He's not exactly officer friendly."

 

"You have a point, but he's also my brother." Delsin said, wondering if it would be a dick move to bring up Brent. She just crossed her arms over her chest. Yeah, definitely a dick move. Joyce brought them the check, and Delsin used the money Reggie threw on the table to pay, throwing in a sizable tip for Joyce. It wasn't like Reggie needed that extra twenty-dollar bill, right? Delsin and Fetch left the diner and walked down the street aimlessly. He honestly didn't have a plan, which was nothing too out of the ordinary. "What do you know about the dealers?"

 

"Names, addresses, what they're dealing and mostly who to. They really haven't changed since I was last in Seattle." Fetch said. Delsin nodded, wondering if she realized what he saw in her head last night. "I got the whole nine yards on these bastards."

 

"Alright, so how have you been getting to them before?"

 

"I follow them and wait for an opportunity. Most of those guys thought I was gone, it was easy at first. Now," she smiled at the thought, "I think they know I'm back in town."

 

"Well we're not murdering them, I already promised Reggie." Delsin said. Fetch didn't say anything, looking at the ground as she walked. "Listen," he put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away slightly and Delsin dropped his hand. They paused in the middle of the sidewalk. "I really want to help you, okay? These drug dealers should be off the streets, but we can't kill them. I've been subduing DUP when I had smoke, we'll have to figure out a way to do it with neon."

 

"Okay," she said, nodding. "We'll find a way."

 

"Promise me you won't go after any of these guys without me." He said, fixing her with a stare. Fetch shifted her weight from one side to the other and met Delsin's eye briefly.

 

"Okay, I promise."

 

"Thanks," he rubbed the back of his neck, offering her a slight smile. "We can do this, I know it."

 

For the first time in a long time, Delsin was afraid of disappointing someone besides Reggie.

 

***

 

**June 30 th, 2018**

It was, in all honesty, a beautiful night in Seattle. Delsin almost wished they didn't have to ruin it with hunting down drug dealers. Fetch was probably too excited, and Delsin was thankful they'd spent all of yesterday finding a way to subdue people. The DUP were great test subjects, and while it took a while, they eventually found a way. Delsin might've picked up a few tricks from some core relays along the way, but Reggie didn't have to know that.

 

"Nervous?" Fetch asked, almost jogging beside him to keep up. Delsin shrugged, looking behind them. They were trying to keep a low profile as they pursued their first target to a secluded location. Fetch told him earlier that he had a lot of places to hide; they'd have to be sure they could take him before engaging. The two of them had been following him for about fifteen minutes. "Don't be nervous." Fetch said, elbowing him.

 

"If I mess this up Reggie will never trust me with anything ever again." He said. The target turned into an alleyway and Fetch nudged him. Oh.

 

"Hey, Sam," she said, grinning as her hand lit up with neon. "Remember me?" Fetch ran after him when he turned on his heel. She lit up a bright ball and threw it at him, encasing him with a neon bubble. "Delsin, now!" She said. Delsin aimed in like she taught him (after they found more core relays of course) and shot more neon at him; it encased his hands, arms, and legs. Delsin threw one around his mouth just to be safe. The neon bubble broke with a soft pop, a stylistic choice he was sure, and the drug dealer fell hard on the cement.

 

"Is he still alive?" Delsin asked, jogging over to the two of them. Fetch bent down and checked his pulse, nodding once at him. "We did it!" Delsin said, clapping her on the back. "I'll call Reggie." Delsin said, getting out his phone. It rang only a few times before Reggie picked it up. "We got one of them, he's in an alley on 4th street. I'll mark it on your GPS."

 

"He's alive?"

 

"Yeah. Fetch checked him just a moment ago. I told you we wouldn't kill anyone."

 

"Thanks," Reggie said. They both paused, unsure of what to say. Fetch and Delsin still had some dealers to go through; hopefully they could get them before dawn. "I mean it."

 

"No problem," Delsin said. Reggie cleared his throat. "I'll call you when we get the next guy." He said before hanging up. "Ready?" He asked. Fetch just looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Okay, so that was a stupid question. "Lead the way laser girl." Delsin fell into step with Fetch, who shot a glare at him before leading the way.

 

They celebrated taking out drug dealers at dawn with coffee and the best view in Seattle.

 

***

 

**July 2 nd, 2018**

"What did you mean, the other night with Fetch?" Delsin asked, sitting cross-legged on the motel bed next to Reggie. Fetch was taking a shower, and the boys were barely paying attention to the cheesy Spanish soap opera on TV. Reggie looked at him, brow furrowed. "You said I wasn't like them."

 

"Oh," Reggie said. He shifted on the bed. "You're not like the other conduits. I thought that was obvious?"

 

"What makes me different?" Delsin said, running a hand through his hair. Reggie didn't say anything, and Delsin sighed.

 

"You're not a murderer, for one." Reggie said finally, barely loud enough to be heard over the TV. "You're not using your powers to hurt people or anything, I know everything you do lately has been for the Akomish. I know Betty's pretty upset with us for leaving, but that can't be helped." Reggie said. Delsin sat in silence, lips pursed.

 

"I've hurt DUP soldiers." He said, catching Reggie's eye. "I try not to but I've killed them. Civilians were hurt because of me, because the DUP wanted me. I hurt people, Reg, I'm not who you think I am."

 

"But you're not like them." Reggie said firmly, leaning over and resting his hand Delsin's shoulder. He held it in a tight grip, and Delsin wasn't sure whom he was really trying to reassure. "You're my brother. You're not like them."

 

"What, because I only kill the right people?" Delsin said, jerking back from his grip. The water in the bathroom shut off, and Reggie was staring at him too closely. Delsin felt like a bug under a microscope. He felt like he should apologize, he wondered if Reggie would accept it. Fetch walked out of the bathroom in an oversized Pink Floyd shirt (courtesy of Delsin) and her hair in a towel. "I'm gonna take a walk." He said, getting up from the bed and grabbing his shoes off a chair by the door; Delsin didn't bother to put them on until he was outside.

 

He ran a safe distance, not wanting to be caught using his powers too close to the motel. In spite of everything, they were still trying to keep a fairly low profile. Delsin ducked into an alley, heart pounding hard against his ribcage. He turned to smoke; it was the only thing he seemed to be good at these days. Why did he say that to Reggie? Delsin smoked through a vent to get to the roof and just started running. He flew, turning from smoke to human to smoke every few seconds. It felt like freedom, it felt better than it should.

 

Delsin wanted his brain to shut off more than anything; he wished it were that simple.

 

***

 

It was after midnight when Delsin made his way back to the motel, dragging his feet. He opened the motel room door, opening it slowly. He shushed it quietly when it squeaked, hoping he hadn't woken Reggie up. The door shut behind him with a soft click. Reggie was sitting on the bed, watching TV at a low volume. Fetch was sleeping soundly on the next bed over, softly snoring. Reggie got up off the bed and Delsin froze in his spot.

 

"Delsin," he said, voice barely above a whisper. Before Delsin could say anything Reggie was hugging him tight, practically squeezing the air out of him. Delsin let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and hugged him back. "I'm sorry," he said, the words muffled by Delsin's vest.

 

"Me too," he said. "I don't know why I said that."

 

"No," Reggie pulled back, dark eyes glassy. "Don't be sorry, okay? I needed to hear it, I think."

 

"What am I to you now?" Delsin asked, his eyes fixed on the floor. He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, tried to tell himself that Reggie loved him no matter what.

 

"You're my brother, and I'll always have your back." Reggie said, hands gripping Delsin's shoulders hard. "You're a conduit using his abilities to help people. You're a good man, even if you don't know it." He said. Delsin nodded, brow furrowed. "I mean it."

 

"Yeah, I know."

 

It was the closest they'd ever gotten to really talking about it.

 

***

 

**July 10 th, 2018**

Delsin and Fetch quickly found that drugs were sold faster than they could destroy them. It led to many late nights with coffee, trying to form a plan. It was Fetch who came up with the perfect solution one night after trying to stuff an entire bagel into her mouth in one go. It was the suppliers who needed to be taken care of.

 

Once they got Reggie's reluctant approval, Fetch made a plan. Well, as much as Fetch ever planned anything. Which was to say that her plan consisted of figuratively, and also literally, nothing concrete. She knew the drugs were being stashed with their suppliers in houseboats in the bay. Fetch also knew when everyone would be home; the plan was simple, they were going to storm the castle. Delsin desperately wanted it to work out textbook perfect, if not for him getting to be smug at Reggie then at least for Fetch. Lord, she deserved that much.

 

It all culminated in this one night, Delsin was running over rooftops to get to the bay. Sidewalks were definitely more hazardous, especially when the DUP chased him and he was stuck in a sea of civilians. It was easier this way. Delsin skidded to a stop, trying not to fly over the edge. He was on a rooftop overlooking the bay. Where was Fetch? Pacing in circles, Delsin waited for about five minutes before giving in and calling Fetch. It rang for what seemed like forever until she finally answered.

 

"The good news is you can start without me." She said. Delsin raised an eyebrow, not saying anything in reply. "Del?"

 

"I'm here, are you sure?"

 

"Yeah, I'll be there soon. Look for anything with a dolphin on it, that seems to be the symbol they use." Fetch said before hanging up. Delsin pocketed his phone and made his way to the docks, trying not to alarm the dealers before he absolutely had to. Delsin made his way around the back of one of the first houseboats, coming across a pile of red coolers with a dolphin on the front. He opened the biggest one, whistling when he saw it was packed with drugs. He got out his phone again and called Fetch.

 

"Okay, I'm at the docks and I already found some of their shipment. I'm gonna tag the boats with drugs so you know which ones to destroy."

 

"I'm on the roof, see me?" She asked. Delsin looked up, saw her waving a hand lit up with neon. He copied her, grinning back at her. "I'm coming down, let's wreck their shit." Fetch hung up. Delsin pocketed his phone, waiting for her. She ran to him, lit up with neon. As soon as the dealers saw her all bets were off. She ran to him, dealers hot on her heels. Delsin suspended them in neon bubbles before shooting them again to subdue them.

 

They ran around to the front of the house and Fetch marked it with a big neon F enclosed in a circle: her calling card. The two of them fought their way through what seemed to be a sea of drug dealers shooting to kill.

 

"Smokes! Behind you!" Fetch shouted. Delsin turned on his heel, chain ready. A drug dealer body slammed him and Delsin fell hard on the dock, breath knocked out of him on impact. The man punched him in the face, knuckles cracking against his cheekbone. Delsin caught his hand, a glowing neon bubble around the other man's wrist. Fetch kicked him hard in the side and encased him in a bubble of neon. He fell, subdued, onto the dock. Fetch offered her hand and Delsin took it.

 

When they got to the next boat with drugs, they heard someone shouting from within.

 

"Let me out! I swear I won't tell anyone." They shouted, pounding on the door. Delsin tried to open it, only to find that it was locked. He wrapped his chain around the door handle and used it to wrench it open. The woman inside barreled past him in a mini dress and high heels. Fetch finished marking the houseboat.

 

"They must be using their hookers as shields." Fetch said, frowning at the retreating woman. Delsin hummed in response before following Fetch as she ran after a fleeing drug dealer. The two of them searched the docks and marked the houseboats that were carrying drugs, subduing as many dealers as they could along the way.

 

"Fetch, look at this." Delsin said, gesturing at the last of the drugs they found. It was a pile of red coolers, all filled with drugs. "This is clearly a porpoise." He said. Fetch rolled her eyes, arms crossed over her chest. "Don't worry, it's an easy mistake to make."

 

"This is why I hate working with boys." She said. Delsin laughed and she punched him in the arm. "Hey, where did everyone go?" Fetch asked, looking over her shoulder. Just minutes ago, drug dealers were right on their heels. They walked around to the front of the house and Fetch marked it. She turned on her heel, squinting at the horizon. Suddenly, she pointed to a warehouse in the middle of the docks. "That must be their main storehouse."

 

"Should we trash it?" Delsin asked, hands shoved in his pockets.

 

"No, they probably got more hookers in there. I don't want them to get hurt too. Let's beat it, give them a few hours to think we're good and gone."

 

"We're not going too far, right?"

 

"Just back to the rooftops." Fetch said, running back in the direction they came. Delsin followed, quickly turning to neon to keep up. They ran up the side of the building, going back to normal once they reached the top. "Wanna see something cool?" She asked, a ball of bright neon nestled between her fingers.

 

"By all means." He said, nodding at her to go ahead. A large stream of neon came pouring from her fingers, concentrated into a beam that she turned onto the marked houseboat. It went up in flame, exploding mere seconds after she focused the beam onto it. Fetch did the same with the other marked houseboats and Delsin could only watch slack jawed as pieces of house flew into the air with a grandiose boom. Fetch stopped her beam, leaving only destruction in its wake.

 

"Did I blow your mind?" She said, punching his arm. Delsin bumped her with his hip, laughing when she stumbled.

 

"Ass," she muttered under her breath. Delsin laughed in reply. "So, now we wait."

 

"Yup," Delsin said, sitting down on the roof. Fetch sat next to him, cross-legged. He lay down on the roof, pillowing his head on top of his hands.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Sleeping," he said, closing his eyes. Fetch scoffed in return.

 

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

 

"I am sure you'll figure it out." He said, grinning when she elbowed him in the ribs. With a huff, she settled down on the roof as well.

 

Delsin was getting pretty good at falling asleep in odd places.

 

***

 

"Hey asshole," Fetch said, shaking his shoulders. "They're on the move, let's go." She said, patting his cheek lightly.

 

"I'm awake," he groaned, slapping her hands away. She offered him her hand and he took it. Fetch lifted him up and he rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake. "Where are they?"

 

"The truck." She pointed to a truck leaving the docks, it had a dolphin on the side of it.

 

"So now we're following a dolphin truck."

  
"It's actually a porpoise." She said, smirking at him. Delsin rolled his eyes. "It's an easy mistake to make. Now let's go before we lose them." She said before taking off. They crossed the city on the rooftops, careful to stay out of sight so the dealers wouldn't freak out. Eventually they came to a stop in the alley, where more dealers came from a building. This must be where the exchange was going to go down. Before Delsin could say anything, Fetch was already suspending dealers in neon bubbles to subdue.

 

Delsin dropped down into the crowd, using his chain to clear out a few stragglers. Once everyone was subdued, Fetch and Delsin made their way to the truck. Someone was screaming from inside, presumably it was another hooker. Delsin and Fetch opened the back, and Delsin ushered them out into the alley.

 

"Go, live, love..." He said, waving them out of the alley. "Just not professionally."

 

"Get clean while you have the chance!" Fetch cupped her hands around her mouth. "Don't fuck it up!" She yelled after them as the women ran down the street. Delsin sat on the back bumper of the truck.

 

"Think anyone will ever thank a few low life bio-terrorists like us?" He said, looking up at her.

 

"Yeah," she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning on the side of the truck. "I think you saved me, for what it's worth."

 

"Yeah? Gonna give up murdering drug dealers?" Delsin said, grinning widely at her. She shrugged, turning her back to him. "That was like, half your charm." He pushed off the truck, following after her.

 

"What's the other half?" Fetch said, spinning on her heel to face him.

 

"That was it, actually, you only got the one charm." He said, laughing when she rolled her eyes.

 

"Don’t worry," she said, stepping closer. "I'm not giving up on my passions." Fetch put one hand on his shoulder, the other on his chest on top of the buttons on his vest. "I'm finding new ones." She said, meeting his eyes briefly. Then, without warning, she punched him in the gut. "Like boxing."

 

"That was your attempt at an emotional moment, wasn't it?" He said as she jumped into the back of the truck. She shrugged in response before lifting up one of the red coolers by the handle. "Wow, I'm truly stunned."

 

"Shut up and help me get these drugs in the harbor."

 

Delsin never missed a moment for the rest of the night to remind Fetch that she liked him.

 

***

 

**July 11 th, 2018**

Delsin woke up the next morning face down on the floor. It wasn't a new occurrence these days, it seemed he was terrible at sleeping on a cot. Fetch was already awake and in the shower, if the water he heard running in the bathroom was any indication. Delsin stood up with a groan, rubbing at a crick in his neck. He folded his blanket and put it back on the cot before rifling through his duffle bag for clean clothes. The water shut off and Fetch walked out of the bathroom minutes later.

 

"Morning," she said as she dumped her clothes in the hamper. Delsin nodded at her before heading into the bathroom. By some miracle Fetch hadn't used all the hot water, but he tried to be as quick as possible. Fetch was known, among other things, for taking incredibly long showers. Once finished he brushed his hair and put on the clothes he'd chosen earlier. When he went into the bedroom again, Fetch was waiting for him at the door. "Walk with me?"

 

"Sure," he said, throwing his clothes into the hamper. He put on his shoes and locked the door behind them. Delsin shoved his hands in his pockets, trailing slightly behind Fetch. Her hair was out of its usual bun; her slightly wavy pink hair fell in waves just slightly over her shoulders. Delsin had eschewed his normal beanie too, it was somewhere in the motel but he didn't have any energy after last night to even attempt to find it.

 

They walked in silence as she led him across Seattle. He didn't know where they were going, and he didn't much care. Eventually she led him down to the sands of the beach. They were the only ones on this section near the jetty, where the rocks were sharp and the sand was unpleasantly soggy. Fetch stood by his side in silence, eyebrows furrowed deep in thought.

 

"What did you see?" She asked finally, turning to face him. Delsin raised a brow at her. "I mean, when you took my powers you poked through my head. What did you see?" Fetch asked, picking at a loose thread on her shirt collar.

 

"Probably more than you wanted me to." He said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I saw what your parents did. The drugs, what happened with Brent. I," he paused, taking in a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

 

"What for?"

 

"That it happened to you." He said. Fetch froze, frowning. "It wasn't your fault."

 

"Like hell it wasn't," she said, fists clenched. "He's dead after all he did to help me, somewhere in a police morgue and I put him there."

 

"It was an accident." Delsin said, pausing while his sneakers sunk into the sand. Fetch froze as he came closer. "Can I hug you?" Delsin asked. Fetch nodded only slightly. She stayed almost perfectly still as he leaned forward, hugging her carefully. "It wasn't your fault." Delsin murmured. Fetch trembled as he rubbed her back in what he hoped was soothing. She tentatively wrapped her arms around him.

 

"You're full of shit, smokes." Fetch said, her words muffled by his vest. Delsin ran a hand through her hair.

 

"You like me." Delsin said. Fetch laughed wetly, still trembling. "It's okay."

 

He'd never seen Fetch cry before then.

 

***

 

**July 13 th, 2018**

They were going across the bridge. Well, Delsin was at least. He was ditching Reggie to make sure he wouldn't get caught in the collateral. Fetch was supposed to meet him somewhere on the other side of the bridge. The rumors of the other escaped conduit all pointed there, but the bridge had been destroyed by DUP forces earlier. Thankfully, Delsin was a conduit. If the DUP thought they could stop him with a blown bridge, well, they had another thing coming.

 

He light up with neon, running up the side of the gigantic concrete barrier they'd made at the entrance to the bridge. Three DUP soldiers were on a broken part of the bridge on the other side. One of them lobbed a gas canister at him, like an idiot. When it exploded Delsin absorbed the smoke and rocketed into the air, landing hard in the center of their cluster. He subdued them all quickly, one of them went flying off the bridge with a blast of smoke. The other two lay suspended on the ground.

 

Suddenly, a turret started firing at him. Delsin swore and turned to smoke to escape, one of the bullets barely grazing his arm. He smoked down behind it and ripped out its circuitry. Delsin was thrown back by the blast, colliding into the ground with a groan. Oh man, he hoped that was an expensive turret. He made his way through the wreckage, taking out all the turrets they threw at him. At least if Fetch decided to come this way she wouldn't have to worry. Finally he was standing on the edge of a precipice in front of what looked to be a makeshift arena. Augustine was standing on the other side.

 

Delsin dropped down cautiously, Augustine watching him like a hawk all the while. He circled around the arena, keeping one eye on her at all times.

 

"I heard you've picked up a new trick." She said, her voice echoing all around them.

 

"Who told you that?" Delsin said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Was it Steve? That guy is a compulsive liar, you know."

 

"Oh?" She smirked, her grey eyes cold. "I suppose we'll see about that." Augustine said. With a wave of her hand, some soldier he hadn't seen before came lumbering up behind her. He made himself giant concrete armor and lobbed a spiky block of concrete straight at Delsin. Oh, he thought, oh shit. Delsin smoked to the right before shooting a missile right back at him. The spikes circling the soldier exploded into dust and Delsin took the opportunity to shoot at him.

 

The soldier recovered and started lobbing more spikes his way; Delsin ran frantically around in circles as he tried to dodge them. He shot another missile and winced when a concrete spike caught him in the leg. Delsin shot him, hoping he was having an effect on the soldier. They did this, dancing almost like they were putting on a show for Augustine.

 

"I have to say, I'm not impressed so far." She said. Delsin snarled, trying to fire off another missile and failing. He had run out of smoke. There were neon lights on the three platforms in the arena; realization struck him like a wave. She knew. What point was there trying to hide it? Delsin took cover behind one of the platforms and drained the neon. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Now finish him off so we can chat." Augustine said.

 

Delsin ignored her and fired off neon missiles at the soldier, chipping away at his armor again and again until he finally fell in a dramatic concrete explosion. Augustine still stood above him on the other side of the arena.

 

"Ok, so I lied about the whole neon thing. Listen, I'll just tell you what I need and we'll be on our merry ways. I kinda need some concrete."

 

"You think I'll just give you my power?" She said, raising a brow. When Delsin nodded she scoffed in reply.

 

"Listen, I don't want it to sink bridges or whatever. I just need it to help my friends." Delsin said. Augustine laughed, all hard edges and disbelief.

 

"I've got a better idea." She said. Delsin's left leg was suddenly encased in concrete that was rapidly growing. She dropped down into the arena, making her way to him like she hadn't a care in the world. "You'll be useless to me in your little hovel, Delsin. I could put you to good use here, why don't you stay?"

 

"I like my idea better." He said, his hand now trapped in the concrete. It was worth it to see the shock on her face. Augustine pressed her lips together in a tight line, one hand clasped behind her back. The other, however, was just barely out of his reach. Delsin lunged for it, hand closing on her wrist before she grabbed his in a painful grip.

 

"How disappointing." She said, stepping directly in front of him. Suddenly, there was a blue light above them and a faint murmuring. "No!" She shouted as he was wrenched away from her with a sudden upward movement. He was flying; something was carrying him. Where in the world were they taking him? They flew high over rooftops before it suddenly released him. Delsin was flying, and then he was falling.

 

As the roof came up to meet him Delsin knew he was going to die. He closed his eyes.

 

***

 

His phone was buzzing, Delsin wasn't in concrete. He was on the roof. He wasn't dead? Delsin pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it.

 

"Del?"

 

"Yeah," he said, almost choking on the word. Delsin coughed, trying to get the concrete out of his lungs. "I'm here, Reg, in the lantern district."

 

"Oh thank god, I've been trying to call you for the past hour." Reggie said. Delsin cleared his throat again. Reggie was about to say something but was cut off by something in the background; Reggie muffled the speaker to yell at whoever it was. He heard a distinct Jersey accent through it all and despite everything he smiled.

 

"Is Fetch there?"

 

"Yeah, and she's been insufferable since you went lights out." Reggie said. Delsin could vaguely hear her saying something in the background. "Will you stop hitting me?" Reggie had pulled away from the receiver, his voice muffled. He cursed on the other line and suddenly Fetch was laughing into the receiver.

 

"Smokes, you asshole! I thought you were dead!"

 

"So did I." He said, massaging a crick in his neck. "I took the scenic route."

 

"Don't scare me like that again, okay?" Fetch said in a low tone. Delsin could only barely hear her past the ringing in his ears.

 

"I'll try not to." He said, slowly getting up off his knees. Fetch sighed on the other end of the line and he knew Reggie was probably going crazy not knowing what was happening. "Tell Reggie I'll call him back."

 

"Will do." She said. Delsin hung up. He put his phone on silent before pocketing it. Delsin stood on the roof, taking in the horizon. It was just after sunset; the district was all lit up, practically glowing against the night sky. He needed to find who, or what, saved him. Augustine was coming for him, coming for Fetch. Delsin didn't have time to mess around.

 

With that thought in mind, Delsin leapt from the roof and dissolved into neon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act I.
> 
> I hope to have Act II finished by the end of August or mid September! Stay tuned y'all.


	2. Act II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about y'all but I'm pretty excited

_"So I'll regret it. But lead my heart to pain_

_Return, if it is just to leave me again."_

—Agha Shahid Ali, "As Ever"

**July 15 th, 2018**

Delsin only just finished taking out a core relay in the lantern district when his phone rang. He cursed as he jumped down off a roof, DUP still hot on his heels. Without checking caller ID, Delsin answered.

 

"Can this wait?" He said, trying to catch his breath.

 

"I don't know?" An unfamiliar voice said. "I'm a big fan of yours, the whole helping the helpless thing is really neat." He said, stuttering. Delsin paused, hiding in a doorway in the alley. Geez, the guy sounded young.

 

"Well, thanks." He said after a long pause. The last of the DUP soldiers passed by the alley in a frantic search, still trying to find him. "There anything I can do for you?"

 

"I was actually hoping I could help you." The fan said. Delsin paused, eyebrows furrowed deep in thought.

 

"Not sure if there's anything you could do, kid." Delsin said. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Shit, he hoped he didn't just crush his dreams or something. "Listen, if you've got any tips on an escaped conduit in the area I'd really appreciate it. I've had trouble tracking down them down."

 

"What do you want with him?" He said, voice suddenly raising an octave. "Or her, I mean."

 

"Just wanna shake their hand." Delsin said, leaning against the door.

 

"The DUP has a few convoys, they've been rounding up suspected conduits. Your guy could be on one of them." The kid said finally. Delsin hummed in response. "I'll send you GPS coordinates for the first one."

 

"Really?" Delsin said, smiling for the first time in days. Reggie was using all his connections to try and find the conduit, but they'd still come up with nothing. Delsin wasn't going to let his brother swoop in and save the day if he had a choice.

 

"Yeah," he said. "It's not a problem."

 

"I appreciate it, kid, will you let me know if you get anything else?"

 

"Sure!" He exclaimed, and Delsin could almost imagine him smiling from ear to ear. He certainly seemed to be an excitable one.

 

"Thanks." He said before hanging up. A moment later, his phone pinged. He opened his map, to see a red pin on a downtown overpass. Delsin headed to the area to scope it out, not finding anywhere that would be tactically advantageous. His phone rang again and he picked it up.

 

"Did you find it?"

 

"I did, thanks again." Delsin said, shaking his head at the fan's enthusiasm. "I gotta figure out how to ambush them."

 

"Could you mess with the bridge somehow?"

 

"I could blow it up." Delsin said, adjusting a button on his vest. "I don't wanna kill the conduit I'm looking for." He walked through the crowd casually, almost holding his breath when he passed a group of patrolling DUP. No use in giving away where he was, they might avoid the area later.

 

"Could you weaken the bridge? I mean, it doesn't have to blow up or anything." The kid said in a rush, not stopping to breathe till he finished.

 

"Good idea." Delsin said. "Hey, stay safe okay? I don't want you caught up in the crossfire." He said. The kid sputtered on the other end of the line and Delsin frowned. "Seriously."

 

"Okay, okay I'll stay home." The kid said, the pout evident in his tone.

 

"Thanks." Delsin said before hanging up. He looked around for DUP patrols before climbing up one of the concrete pillars supporting the bridge. He carefully used neon to slice through the metal supports; he moved from pillar to pillar, doing the same to all of them. There, he thought as he slid down. He got a text from the fan, telling him when the convoy was supposed to arrive. Well, Delsin thought, maybe having a fan club wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be.

 

The DUP was supposed to be there at 7 PM, but it was just past noon. There was plenty of time to free a district.

 

With a grin, he set off to ruin the DUP's day.

 

***

 

That evening found him sitting in the middle of the overpass; phone in hand as he tried to beat his high score. He'd done plenty of work earlier; what better way to make a statement than to let the idiots come to him? Delsin looked up at the sound of engines roaring. Headlights peeked through thick fog rolling in; it was supposed to storm all night. Then again, it was always raining in Seattle.

 

Delsin stood and pocketed his phone as they drove across the bridge. All of a sudden it dropped out from under the first truck, and the others came to a screeching stop. Doors opened and they immediately opened fire; Delsin ran towards them in a flash of smoke and ash. He flung a ball of smoke towards the crowd, subduing who he could while they coughed. A turret mounted on top of one of the trucks opened fire and he cursed under his breath when a few rounds caught him in the calf.

 

Delsin plastered himself to the other side of a truck, gritting his teeth as the wounds healed themselves quickly. A soldier rushed around the corner; Delsin knocked the helmet off their head with a resounding smack of his chain. Delsin rushed him, ignoring the feeling of his skin closing back together and fired a ball of smoke that left him coughing. Delsin quickly smoked to subdue him before dodging out of the turret's line of sight. He turned and fired an ash missile at the truck. With a few more the truck was nothing more than a smoked out frame with a useless turret.

 

A helicopter hovered above just out of the fog. Delsin methodically took out the rest of the DUP, making his way to the single bus in the group. Before he could reach it, the helicopter opened fire in a break in the fog. The explosion threw Delsin back as he quickly turned to smoke. He landed on the asphalt hard, rolling away from the explosion. Suddenly, something was bringing the helicopter down, but he couldn't see past the fog. The helicopter circled, a spiral of smoke billowing from the propeller. It went down, headed right for him. Quickly scrambling to his feet, Delsin smoked off the overpass just in time.

 

Asphalt dug into his elbows as he braced himself. The overpass almost completely crumbled, asphalt and concrete concaved to the ground. Delsin got up with a groan, dusting himself up and picking pebbles out of his scraped elbows. He smoked up on top of the overpass again, draining smoke from the helicopter. Delsin jogged over to the bus, knocking on the glass door. No response. He peered through the window, and empty seats greeted him. Someone got here before him. Delsin hit the window in frustration and pushed away from it, smoking off the overpass. His phone rang.

 

"What's up?" He said as he ducked into an alley.

 

"There's another convoy in a few hours." The fan said, sounding breathless. "They're changing their plans around, I can't give you solid GPS coordinates. I'll tell you more when I get more radio chatter."

 

"You're patched into their comms?" Delsin asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's so badass!"

 

"I made it into an app." The fan said, stuttering a bit again. "I can send you the link if you want."

 

"Please do," Delsin said as he dusted off his jeans. "Thanks man." Delsin said before hanging up. He leaned against the brick wall, trying to catch his breath. Reggie was waiting for him back at the motel, and Fetch was doing god knows what. There was no way he couldn't not catch the conduit. Everyone was counting on him. He tried to open the app, but it wouldn't track anything while he was still on the ground. Delsin walked around the alley till he found a vent and smoked up to the top of the building.

 

He picked up the signal, but there was too much static for him to make out their comms. Delsin absorbed neon from the sign of the restaurant whose roof he stood on. He took a running leap at the taller building next to the restaurant, turning to neon so he could run up the wall. Once he reached the top, Delsin opened the app again.

 

"We lost the first convoy, Rowe got to them first!" The DUP soldier shouted. Delsin held the phone away from himself, wincing at the sound. He quickly turned down the volume. "He got away, damn this fog!"

 

"Are we still proceeding on the other convoys?" Another soldier cut in before the first one could start to rant.

 

"Affirmative, convoy two will be crossing 6th street at twenty one hundred hours." He said. Delsin shut down the app and made his way across town. He got there when it was eight thirty, the sun long set behind the horizon. The city was a haze of fog and smelled of ozone, thick rain clouds threatened downpour at any moment. People were already carrying umbrellas in anticipation. Delsin put up his hood and made his way through the crowd.

 

He found an alley and ran up the side of the building, giving him a good vantage point of the road. Delsin sent a quick text to Reggie and Fetch to let them know he was all right. Lord knew they worried worse than Betty sometimes. His hands stilled over the screen, trying to remember the last time he'd actually talked to Betty. She didn't understand why he couldn't come home; then again neither did Reggie, not really. He hit send and put his phone away.

 

He waited, trying not to think of Betty. It was easier said than done.

 

***

 

It was ten thirty and the convoy still hadn't come. Delsin was pacing on the roof, hands crossed in front of his chest. Where were they? He pulled out his phone to check the app when something exploded in a cloud of fire and smoke to his left. Delsin put away his phone and ran towards the sound. The convoy had been attacked, all of the trucks up in flames. Only a few DUP soldiers remained. Delsin turned to smoke and dropped down hard in the middle of them, knocking some off their feet on impact.

 

He quickly subdued the rest before turning to the bus. He knocked on the glass door, impatiently waiting for an answer. When nothing came he wrenched the door open, but nobody was inside. Delsin slammed the doors shut again and kicked the tire. He ran before more DUP could catch him, smoking to the top of a building through a vent. He opened the app, listening for any chatter. Only silence met him. He called the fan; the phone rang and rang and nobody ever answered.

 

"Oh come on," Delsin said, taking the phone from his ear to glare at it. "Things get a little rough and you give up on me? Some fan," he muttered as he pocketed his phone. Delsin sat down on the roof, flicking sparks with his fingertips. Someone was taking the prisoners before he got to them, but who? Delsin breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down. This high up there was nothing to ground him. He wished Fetch was with him, why did he decide to do this alone? Delsin rested a hand on his ribcage, regulating every breath he took. Fuck. He was so fucked. He took out his phone and opened the app. Nothing but static. He had to do something. He had to leave.

 

Slowly, Delsin got up and walked across the rooftop. Picking a random direction, Delsin ran as fast as he could. Surely the static would clear up at some point, right? He turned to smoke and climbed up an adjacent apartment building; he opened the app and could vaguely hear radio chatter. Delsin ran in the same direction, relieved when it cleared up.

 

"It's coming from above!" One soldier shouted, a loud bang somewhere behind him. "It's not Rowe!" He said, gunfire a continuous wall of background noise. Who was attacking them? The soldier's transmission cut off with a yell and Delsin sprinted across rooftops, turning from smoke to human every few steps. The signal got stronger the further south he went until he could see wide plumes of smoke through the fog. There was something flying above the scene on bright blue wings.

 

What the hell? He skidded to a stop in front of the parking lot serving as a battleground. DUP soldiers were shooting at the things flying above them. Were they supposed to be angels? What kind of conduit could summon angels? One of them looked right at him and he froze, ready to run at a moment's notice. A DUP soldier firing at it from below quickly drew its attention. Delsin took a deep breath before dropping down into the fray, a smoking crater left in his wake. With the help of the angels, Delsin defeated what remained of the DUP.

 

The bus was on its side a few feet away, the back emergency door ripped off its hinges. He looked inside, cursing when it was empty. The angels were already flying off into the distance. Delsin ran after them briefly, but they only got further away with each passing moment. Delsin stopped suddenly, breathing hard.

 

Delsin was so fucked.

 

***

 

**July 16 th, 2018**

Delsin was rudely awakened not by falling off the cot, surprisingly, but with a phone call. He grabbed for the phone blindly on the nightstand, finally managing to answer it. Fetch groaned and rolled over to put her face in the pillow. Reggie was, predictably, already gone.

 

"Hello?" He said, sitting up to rub his eyes. Delsin yawned a moment later.

 

"Sorry, am I waking you up?" A familiar voice asked. It was the fan. "I just wanted to let you know I got a tip that they found one of the vests the conduits are wearing was found in Hing Hay market. It's a big area, lots of places to hide."

 

"Thanks," he said, combing a hand through his hair. "Hey, where'd you disappear to yesterday?"

 

"Maybe conduits don't have to use the bathroom, but the rest of us do." He said. Delsin chuckled in response.

 

"How do you get all this information anyways?" Delsin said as he got up off the cot.

 

"I have friends in high places." He said. Delsin raised a brow at the answer.

 

"Must be good friends."

 

"I couldn't have better." The fan said, beaming.

 

"I don't think I ever asked your name." Delsin said, the realization dawning on him suddenly. He padded over to the bathroom, flicking on the lights. The harsh fluorescents did nothing to improve his mood.

 

"It's kinda dorky…" The fan said reluctantly. "My name is Eugene."

 

"Hey that's not so bad," Delsin said. "My mom got my name from a cowboy movie. I mean, what's dorkier than that?" He said. Eugene laughed on the other end of the line. "Thanks again for the info." Delsin said before hanging up. He checked the phone on his time: eight in the morning. What kind of person got up before noon? Eugene, Delsin decided, was a masochist.

 

With a groan, Delsin got out of bed and headed to shower. Once finished, he made his way through the room, careful to try and not wake Fetch. She was a bit of a bear in the mornings. He slipped on his shoes by the door and set out for the Hing Hay market. He wandered aimlessly around once there until he saw discarded yellow DUP vest on the ground. If Delsin had to take one of them off, where would he do it? It would have to be somewhere that was private and could be locked. Of course, they'd also need room to maneuver. The vest was right next to a porta-potty, maybe other suspects had the same idea.

 

He went around knocking on doors and opening them until finally, one of the suspected conduits burst out of the door after Delsin knocked on it a few times.

 

"Wait, I'm not with the DUP!" Delsin yelled as he ran after them; they didn't stop running. Suddenly, an angel swooped down and grabbed him. "Hey! I saw him first!" He yelled, running up a building to try and get a better angle. Delsin hopped across rooftops but he was too slow, the angel was already gone. Delsin paused on the edge of the rooftop, swearing under his breath. His phone was ringing.

 

"Got any leads on our missing conduit yet?" Reggie asked.

 

"I just saw one get scooped up by one of the angels in the Hing Hay market." Delsin said, kicking a rock off the side of the building. "Those vests look like a bitch to get off, I'm gonna search the area."

 

"You're getting pretty good at this whole manhunt thing." Reggie said, sounding almost proud. "Maybe I'll make you a deputy when we get back, put you to work."

 

"Nope, one cop in the family is already embarrassing enough." Delsin said, rolling his eyes at just the thought of him as a policeman. "I'll let you know what I find." He said before hanging up. He walked through the lantern district carefully, not wanting to alert anyone. When people found out he was Delsin Rowe, they usually had one of two reactions: fawning over him (which actually wasn't that bad) or screaming and running away. Either way, he didn't want to attract any more attention to himself.

 

Angels were flying all over the markets, probably looking for more of the suspected conduits. He saw angels, but no yellow vests. Suddenly, people were running on all sides of him.

 

"There's one trapped on the crane!" Someone shouted, pushing past him. Delsin turned to neon and followed the crowd. A girl wearing a yellow vest was perched precariously on the end of the crane. Delsin ascended, turning back to human when he got on top.

 

"Listen, let's take this to the ground." He said, approaching with his hands up. "I just wanna help you."

 

"Stay back!" The girl screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not going to Curdun Cay!" She said, taking an unsteady step back. Delsin paused before advancing again. Suddenly, she jumped off the side of the crane. Delsin turned to neon, trying to get to her before she hit the ground; an angel swooped in and grabbed her. Delsin pursued, running up a building only to see her carried away just out of his reach. He scowled after them, debating whether or not to call Reggie. After a few moments, he caved and dialed Reggie's number.

 

"These angels keep snatching them before I can get them, it's really starting to piss me off."

 

"Well, deputy, it seems like you need some help." Reggie said. Delsin scoffed, rolling his eyes when Reggie called him deputy again. Man, he was going to be in for some serious disappointment when they got home. "Meet me by the porta-potty in the Hing Hay market, I've got a crazy idea."

 

"I don't like the sound of this." Delsin said before hanging up. He ran to the Hing Hay market, but didn't see Reggie. He knocked on a porta-potty door and Reggie came out wearing one of the DUP vests. "You've gotta be kidding me."

 

"Chase me."

 

"You want me to chase you?"

 

"And shoot me. Actually, just shoot near me." Reggie corrected quickly, fixing Delsin with a vaguely suspicious look. Delsin huffed in reply, punching Reggie's arm lightly. As if he would ever actually shoot Reggie, he didn't wanna fight him. Or face Betty's wrath with a stapler. "Look, we only need to attract an angel."

 

"If they catch you they'll take you to god knows where!"

 

"We've got a GPS link on our phones." Reggie said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You can find me even if you lose sight of me." He said. Delsin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Reggie was waggling his eyebrows at him. Delsin rolled his eyes. "It's the best plan we've had and you know it." Reggie said. It was, and Delsin hated that he hadn't come up with it first.

 

"Let's get this show on the road you big ugly tracking device." Delsin said, clapping Reggie on the back. Reggie chuckled a little before running away from him.

 

"I'm a bio-terrorist, fear me!" Reggie said. Delsin struggled not to laugh as he chased after him. "Give up, you'll never catch me!"

 

"Oh no, I'll never surrender!" Delsin yelled, playing along. Reggie rounded a corner hard and Delsin chased after him. Finally, after what seemed like forever with Reggie yelling increasingly stupid things, an angel grabbed him. "And, we have lift off!" Delsin said, skidding to a stop.

 

"Follow my phone!" Reggie yelled, tossing the words over his shoulders. "And don't be a dick!" He said as the angel carried him around a corner. Delsin ran up a building and followed them as close as he could. Finally, he came to a stop in front of a square. Angels started pouring out of various TV screens all around.

 

"Video angels?" Delsin said, staring wide eyed at them. "Huh." He said before shooting a neon missile at one of the screens. He kept destroying the screens, narrowly avoiding being picked up by the angels more than once. He walked over to Reggie, who had been dropped by one of the angels. He was wrapped around a fire hydrant, moaning and groaning. "You make excellent live bait, I gotta tell you. You coming with me?"

 

"I'm gonna go home, take this shit off, and cry myself to sleep." Reggie said weakly, rubbing his back. "There's gotta be a lot of weird shit down there, and that is all yours brother." He said, turning on his heel and walking away.

 

"Hey don't walk away mad." Delsin said. Reggie turned, eyebrow raised. "It was your idea." He said, smirking when Reggie scowled in reply before turning around and walking away. He called Eugene.

 

"Hey, I just wanted to thank you for your help. I found where the conduit's hiding and I'm about to go inside."

 

"No, you really don't want to do that." Eugene said, stuttering on the other end of the line.

 

"On the contrary, pal, there's nowhere I'd rather be. I'll call you when it's done." He said before hanging up and lifting up the hatch to drop down inside. It was a creepy looking basement with TV monitors and wires everywhere. So, this was where they made the angels. He walked through a hallway and was suddenly transported into what looked like an arena. Well, this wasn't what he pictured from the outside. Floating platforms hovered above lava. He went towards one of the video streams and was carried up and away. Okay, definitely not what he pictured from the outside.

 

He turned around to see pixels materializing into what looked to be the biggest angel he'd seen yet.

  
"I am He Who Dwells, and you have invaded my domain!" He said before shooting a blue beam at Delsin. He turned to neon just before it hit and jumped to another platform.

 

"I just want a bit of your power and we'll call it even!" He said. He Who Dwells wasn't so happy with that, so he hit Delsin with a concentrated ball of energy that catapulted him backwards. He got his bearings just in time to not fall into the lava and floated safely to a platform a few feet away. Delsin caught a video stream again and was propelled upwards to one of the higher platforms. The two danced around each other, Delsin nearly fell into the lava more times than he was strictly comfortable with. Suddenly it faded away and he was dropped back into real life.

 

He walked around the basement, knowing he had to get back in there. There was a pile of yellow vests, but no people. Delsin walked towards a cluster of screens and was transported back into it.

 

"I saw those vests, what did you do with them?"

 

"I offer my invited guests salvation, not suffering!" He said as he fired off another beam of video energy. Delsin dodged just in time, hiding behind a pillar. He ducked out and fired a shot of his own.

 

"Not so easy when your angels can't carry me away, is it?" Delsin said. Suddenly, the platform shook and started collapsing beneath him. Delsin floated away from it, going towards the new set of platforms. He spoke way too soon. Then he was out again in real life, stumbling over the vests. "I'm not leaving till I get what I came for!" He yelled to the empty room, hoping the conduit could still hear him. A set of doors opened and he followed them until he found another cluster of monitors. The swooping feeling in his stomach didn't go away once he landed on the platforms.

 

"I grow tired of this." The angel said, booming voice filling the arena. A swarm of angels flew around him, enveloping him in a shield. Delsin took them out one by one until he could strike at him again. This went on for what seemed like ages until finally, his last neon missile hit and the virtual reality crumbled away. Delsin fell into the real world again, right in front of a lanky teen in a hoody.

 

"Wait, please don't hurt me!" He said as Delsin grabbed his hand. He sounded familiar, was that Eugene? He didn't have time to think on it as he was flung into his mind.

 

_At school I always tried to disappear. Bullies always found me in the end, where they could shove me into lockers and break my glasses. The only place I felt I belonged was in video games; in Heaven's Hellfire I made the rules. I could summon angels to help the helpless, or demons to punish the bullies. But I couldn't control the real world. At first, I tried to ignore them; until one day they pushed me too far, and I punished them. When the DUP came they said they were taking me to a school for people like me, where they could protect me from the bullies. For six years, Augustine hooked me up to her machines and made me call out the angels; they were always stopped before they could save me._

_The crash was my chance to finally disappear for good. Then I saw her rounding up people like me, and I knew what she'd do to them. I had to stop her._

Delsin awoke to his brother yelling his name. Reggie pulled up Delsin by the arm, steadying him when Delsin swayed dangerously.

 

"Okay, that’s starting to get old." He muttered, rubbing his eyes.

 

"I felt bad about just leaving you, so I came to check on you." Reggie said, patting him on the back.

 

"Aw, thanks, couldn't have done it without you; except that I already did." Delsin said, looking past Reggie. Reggie sighed. Eugene was slowly waking up.

 

"Thanks for taking down that kidnapper."

 

"Kidnapper? He's more of a rescuer, I'd say." He said, moving to stand between them as Eugene stood up on shaky legs.

 

"He took conduits off the street against their will, that's kidnapping."

 

"Whoa," Delsin reached out, putting a hand on Reggie's shoulder. "First of all, thank you for using the word conduit. Second of all, why are you being such a dick?" He said, pushing him away. Delsin had one hand on Eugene's arm, trying to keep him from running away.

 

"We'll agree to disagree, but he's going to jail." Reggie said, crossing his arms over his chest. Delsin scoffed, turning to face Eugene.

 

"You're not going to jail, relax kid." He said before turning back to Reggie. "Listen, hang out for a second. Can I talk to you?" He said. Reggie sighed before following him a few feet over into a corner. "I thought you were all about following the rules and not arresting people without due process."

 

"Rules can be broken if it's in everyone's best interests."

 

"Oh really, is it in his best interests?" He pointed to Eugene, who looked as if he was going to bolt any second. "Let's get you a red wig and a trench coat and start calling you Augustine." Delsin jabbed his finger on Reggie's badge. Reggie opened his mouth to speak but stopped, eyes widening slightly.

 

"Maybe next Halloween." Reggie said. Delsin nodded before punching his brother's arm lightly. "Yeah, okay. Do your thing."

 

"Thanks man, me and game boy are gonna have a serious discussion don't you worry." He said before turning on his heel. "It'll be conduit to conduit, no normal people allowed." Delsin said, shooing him away.

 

"Fine, but I'll be right outside if you need me." Reggie said, stomping back up the ramp and out of the basement. Delsin rolled his eyes and put a hand on Eugene's shoulder.

 

"He's not always such an asshole." He said, laughing at Eugene's skeptical look. "Wanna hit the town with me? You can show me how to use this stuff."

 

"I don't think so." Eugene said, meeting Delsin's eyes once before staring at the ground. "I'm safe in here."

 

"Listen, there's a big world out there. There's a way to live in it." Delsin said softly, squeezing Eugene's shoulder. "Just, think about it and let me know, okay?" He said. Eugene nodded jerkily and Delsin clapped him on the back once before leaving him. He emerged blinking into the sunlight. Reggie was sitting outside, true to his word. "He'll be okay, he just needs some time." He said. Reggie nodded in response.

 

It was time to see what new trouble he could get into.

 

***

 

Delsin had been trying all day to get his powers to work. There was nothing, zilch, nada. He called Reggie with shaky hands.

 

"It's gone, Reggie." He said. "I didn't get anything from Eugene, and I can't get any of the old stuff to work either!" Delsin was panicking in the middle of the goddamn intersection and he couldn't bring himself to care. It was gone and he had nothing to protect himself with. How would he take down Augustine now?

 

"Where are you? I'll come find you."

 

"It's too open here, I'll meet you in the alley on fifth, it's a few blocks from me." He said before hanging up. Delsin ran, trying to use the powers Eugene gave him but to no avail. What was wrong with him? Surely he could get them back. Delsin tried not to hyperventilate as he ran to the alley. No, there was no way he could lose his powers. Not after everything they'd been through. Delsin skidded to a stop in the alley in front of Reggie. "Thank god, man I need your help."

 

"Did you say you lost all of your powers?" Reggie asked as he pocketed his phone. Delsin nodded in reply. "This is great news!" Reggie said, hugging his brother. Delsin pushed him away, glaring at him.

 

"How is this great news? Every DUP in the city is out to kill me and I got nothing to protect myself with!" He yelled, pushing Reggie hard on the chest. Reggie stumbled back and Delsin was breathing hard, his hands trembling.

 

"It's alright now." Reggie said softly. He approached him slowly as Delsin took a deep breath. "You're cured, all this conduit stuff is over and we can go home." Reggie said, putting a hand on Delsin's shoulder cautiously. Delsin shrugged it off, glaring at his brother.

 

"I can't go home." He said, looking at the ground stubbornly. Reggie sighed before pulling Delsin into a bone-crushing hug. Delsin stiffened in the embrace, still beyond pissed off. Reggie pulled back, hands resting on Delsin's shoulders.

 

"Listen, Del, the tribe knows you did your best. It's a miracle that you're still alive. Can't we quit while we're ahead?" Reggie said. Delsin shook his head before pinning Reggie with a frown.

 

"I don't care if I have to throw rocks, Augustine is going down." Delsin said, turning on his heel and walking away. He paused, spinning around to meet Reggie's eye again. "I do want to avoid any David and Goliath scenarios, so I really need your help."

 

"Sounds like you have your mind already made up, what do you need me for?" Reggie asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Delsin motioned to the core relay situated against the wall.

 

"I just need your gun."

 

"No," Reggie scoffed. "Absolutely not." He said, pushing past Delsin. He spun around a few steps ahead and shot at the core relay until it popped open. "But you can borrow a few of my bullets."

 

"Thanks," Delsin said. He drained the core relay, the video power surging through him. It was electric and burning and relief. Delsin hadn't lost his powers after all.

 

"What's new?" Reggie said. Delsin smirked, rubbing his hands together. They were still trembling, but only slightly.

 

"You might wanna stand back." He said before turning invisible.

 

"Wow, good thing I stood back." Reggie said. Delsin became visible again, groaning in frustration.

 

"The next one will probably have smashing or projectiles or something." Delsin said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks for the help."

 

"What, you're going to smash the next core relay up with invisibility?" Reggie said. Delsin huffed, hating how damn smug Reggie sounded. "Besides, you don't know where they are."

 

"Fine," Delsin glared at him. "If you slow me down I'm leaving you behind."

 

"I don't think we have to worry about that yet." Reggie said, grinning cheekily at his brother. Delsin huffed before falling into step beside him, following him to the next core relay. They ran towards the docks, Delsin turning invisible every few seconds. "I guess if you got stuck with one power, invisibility isn't so bad."

 

"Right? It's like every teenager's wet dream. Imagine what fifteen year old me could've done with this." Delsin said, laughing when Reggie's face screwed up like he'd just eaten a lemon.

 

"This conversation is over." He said before hanging a left on the docks. The core relay was at the end of the pier. Reggie shot it open and Delsin absorbed it.

 

"This is gonna be awesome." Delsin said. Reggie pointed to a group of DUP thundering across the docks. Delsin grinned before turning invisible. He snuck up behind one of the soldiers before subduing him. He whirled on the other one, hitting him with his chain. It lit up blue and pixelated, looking like a sword. It was like playing hide and seek, Delsin thought as he turned invisible again, except with swords. He could live with that. Once they were all subdued, Reggie came out from behind cover. "Sorry, it's getting too dangerous for you to tag along." Delsin said, turning invisible before Reggie could say anything. He kept running until Reggie was far behind him.

 

As he turned human again, his phone rang.

 

"Hey, it's the guy you left behind." Reggie said, almost yelling. "The one who knows where the next core relay is, you asshole."

 

"Can I put you on hold for a minute?" Delsin said before hanging up and calling Eugene. "Hey, have your aerial friends done some recon over the city?"

 

"I think so, what do you need?"

 

"I'm looking for those glowing boxes the DUP put up all over town."

 

"Yeah, looks like there's one near you." Eugene said, Delsin checked his phone when it dinged; Eugene had already uploaded the GPS coordinates to him.

 

"Thanks man." Delsin said. "Hey, listen, I've got this cool new sword. I've seen some of the suspected conduits being beat up, wanna come help me?"

 

"Oh, no thanks." Eugene stuttered. Delsin sighed in response. "I've got level twelve angels waiting for me in the valley of death."

 

"Then by all means you must go to them." Delsin said, rolling his eyes as he hung up. He followed the coordinates in his phone to the next relay, smashing it up to absorb more powers. He fell to the ground, smiling like mad. Holy shit, he got wings. More DUP surrounded him, but Delsin took them out in a matter of minutes. He got out his phone to call Eugene again. "Hey, so I could use some help with the DUP."

 

"I'm good, but I'll send a few angels and the location of the next core relay." He said before hanging up. Delsin sighed and made his way there. A horde of angels flew above it, making it kinda hard to miss. Delsin smashed it and absorbed the power. Video was getting gradually more awesome. Delsin answered his phone.

 

"I meant to ask, is the girl from the crash okay?"

 

"Who, Fetch? Yeah, she's having the time of her life." Delsin said as he headed to the next core relay.

 

"Oh, that's good." Eugene stuttered. "Is the guy who caused the crash okay?"

 

"Augustine got Hank." Delsin murmured, lips set in a thin line. "Don't worry, I'm gonna get her back."

 

"Okay," Eugene said, voice barely above a whisper.

 

"I'm not letting anything happen to you two crazy kids, okay?" Delsin said, pausing on the rooftop. He heard Eugene sigh on the other side of the line. "I promise." He said before hanging up.

 

Delsin wanted it to be true more than anything.

 

***

 

**July 18 th, 2018**

"Hey, Delsin," Eugene said when Delsin picked up his phone. "So the Akurans captured some suspected conduits."

 

"Well hello to you too." Delsin said, shaking his head. The day hadn't started well, Fetch left before Delsin woke up; Reggie was gone too and nobody had the decency to leave him money for breakfast. He settled for sitting on the bed eating leftover pizza.

 

"I'll send you the coordinates."

 

"Hey," Delsin said, trying to get a word in before Eugene hung up. "Wanna come with me? We could make this a fun little day trip or something." He said, waggling his eyebrows. "Come on, get some sunlight with me. It'll be fun."

 

"I think I'm good." Eugene muttered. Delsin sighed before hanging up. His phone beeped a moment later with the coordinates. He showered quickly before going to the place Eugene put into his phone. It was a parking garage filled with Akurans. Delsin took them out one by one, but didn't find any of the suspects. Once he got a moment to catch his breath, he called Eugene.

 

"They're not here." He said, leaning against a wall.

 

"Then where are they?" Eugene said. Delsin was about to answer when he heard a helicopter fast approaching.

 

"Shit, helicopters." He said, getting ready to hang up and run for it. Suddenly, angels swooped in, attacking the helicopters. The first one hooked some rigging onto a large packing container and lifted it away. "You don't think the conduits are in the crates, do you?"

 

"Well," Eugene stammered, "I don't see why they couldn't be."

 

"Son of a bitch," Delsin cursed. "Can your guys distract them?"

 

"Sure," Eugene said. Delsin hung up and ran up to the roof. He turned to neon, propelling himself into the air at the edge of the roof; Delsin landed on the crate hard. He hit the anchor at the center of the crate, breaking the link between them and the helicopter. Angels safely guided the packing crate down to the ground while Delsin pursued the others. Finally, after the last one was downed, Delsin landed in the middle of a park to catch his breath. That, of course, was when things got worse.

 

DUP flooded the park just as the suspected conduits got out of the crate. They screamed and ran for it while DUP mercilessly pursued them, shooting to kill. Delsin answered Eugene's call after subduing a few DUP.

 

"I really need your help, they're gonna kill all the suspects!" Delsin shouted into the receiver, barely avoiding a concrete missile.

 

"I can't," Eugene stuttered. Delsin grit his teeth and kneed a DUP square in the jaw.

 

"Yes you can!" Delsin said. "Don't leave me at the altar, man, I need you."

 

"I'm sorry," Eugene said, voice barely above a whisper. The line went dead and Delsin shoved his phone back into his jean pocket. More DUP ran into the park, and he wasn't fast enough. A suspect fell a few feet away from him; it was like being punched in the gut. Delsin couldn't save all of them. Eugene left him. Delsin was running out of steam when a giant angel flew into the middle of the park.

 

"You will regret this day!" Eugene said, booming voice suspiciously similar to He Who Dwells. He swung his sword and got some of the DUP. Delsin grinned and ran up the side of a nearby building.

 

"You totally have to teach me how to do that!" He said before jumping down between two DUP, a blast of neon energy knocking them back.

 

"You are not worthy!" Eugene said as he took out a few more soldiers.

 

"You're kind of a dick when you're an angel!" Delsin shouted back at him before smacking a DUP in the ribs with his chain. With the two of them working together, they secured the park in a matter of minutes. He Who Dwells flew away before Delsin could say anything. Suspected conduits cleared out of the park, running and screaming. Delsin turned on his heel and jogged away from the park before more DUPs showed up. As he rounded a corner, he ran into someone, knocking them flat on their ass.

 

Surprisingly, it was Eugene. It took Delsin a solid minute to get over his shock at seeing Eugene outside to finally realize he should help him up. Delsin stuck out his hand out with a grin and pulled Eugene up.

 

"Sorry, didn't think I'd run into you out here." Delsin clapped him on the back once.

 

"Yeah, I thought I'd give people a chance." He said, shrugging. His hood was pulled up and he looked nervously over his shoulder, as if expecting Augustine's goons to drag him back to Curdun Cay any second.

 

"Well, on behalf of people," Delsin waggled his eyebrows at him. "Thanks." He said.

 

"Wanna see something cool?" Eugene asked. Delsin nodded and Eugene led the way up a building. Once they got to the roof, Eugene walked casually over to the edge. Delsin took a step towards him, watching him carefully. "You know, I spent a long time being afraid of people." Eugene said, hands shoved in his pockets. "Now, I know there are some good ones out there." He said, smiling slightly. Delsin grinned right back at him.

 

"You're my wingman, no take backs." Delsin said. Eugene nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

"You bet." He said. "The worst that can happen is they let me down, and I rain hellfire on their asses." He shrugged before stepping back off the building. Delsin ran to the edge, heart pounding. He Who Dwells took flight, much to his relief.

 

"That's the spirit!" He yelled after him. Delsin watched him fly around an apartment complex and out of sight.

 

Eugene would be fine. He hoped.

 

***

 

**July 20 th, 2018**

How Delsin roped Fetch and Eugene into a movie night, he'd never know. Eugene was still an awkward, sweaty mess around most people. Delsin would be lying if he said he didn't feel bad for him. Fetch showed up after two days of doing whatever it was she did when she disappeared (probably something illegal, Delsin really didn't want to know). Fetch ordered pizza while Delsin invited Eugene over, promising him food and a nerdy movie.

 

Eugene actually knocked when he got there, bless his heart. Delsin opened the door with a smile, and Eugene almost stumbled over his own feet. The two of them settled on Reggie's bed, waiting for Fetch to come back with pizza.

 

"So, Fetch and I picked out a few movies we thought you'd like." Delsin said as he grabbed some DVDs off the nightstand. That was a lie, mostly. What actually happened was Delsin held up movies while Fetch shrugged noncommittally. He tossed one at Eugene, who fumbled to catch it. Delsin tossed the others down on the bed in front of him.

 

"What do you want to watch?" Eugene asked, reading summaries on the back. Delsin shrugged, leaving the decision to Eugene. He bit his lip and read the summaries slowly, as if making a weighty decision. Then again, Eugene always looked a bit worried. Once he narrowed it down to two movies, Eugene held them up. Delsin pointed to one at random and put it in the DVD player.

 

"You're not very talkative, are you?" Delsin said as he sat back down on the bed next to Eugene. The boy in question just shrugged. Delsin held back a smile. "That's alright, I talk enough for the both of us." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. Eugene smiled slightly, pulling at a loose thread on the blanket. "Did you know Fetch when you two were in Curdun Cay?"

 

"No," Eugene said, shaking his head. "I didn't really know anyone. Augustine kept me separate most of the time." He said, voice getting gradually quieter. Delsin nodded along, not pushing when Eugene didn't say anything more.

 

"I knew most everyone back in Salmon Bay." He started, cracking his knuckles. Eugene looked at him with wide-eyed surprise. Hell, Delsin thought, he owed him a bit of honesty after everything he'd seen in Eugene's head. "I was the resident troublemaker. Nobody thought I'd ever make anything of myself." Delsin shrugged, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat.

 

"They were wrong." Eugene said. Delsin offered him a slight smile, voice suddenly gone. Delsin was still trying to come up with something—anything—to say when Fetch slammed the door open, pizza boxes in hand. She put them on the dresser before whirling on Eugene, a terrifying attempt at a smile on her face.

 

"Hey, don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Fetch."

 

"I'm Eugene," he said. Delsin got up, grabbing a few paper plates before heading over to the pizza boxes. He grabbed a few pieces for himself and then sat back down on the bed. Eugene and Fetch helped themselves and the three of them settled together on one bed. Delsin waited until Fetch kicked off her boots before pressing play. The movie itself wasn't terribly interesting, it was yet another apocalypse movie. Delsin barely paid attention, but Eugene was completely captivated. Delsin glanced over at him, smiling when Eugene finally relaxed. Fetch lay across the foot of the bed on her side, head propped up on her hand.

 

The three of them stayed like that all night in an almost comfortable silence.

 

***

 

**July 21 st, 2018**

"Del, I've got something you need to see." Reggie said when he came to the motel room that morning. Delsin groaned and pulled the covers up over his head. Reggie pulled the covers off of him and Delsin glared back. Eugene and Fetch were already gone, but that wasn't new.

 

"Well, good morning to you too." He said as he sat up, stretching his back. Reggie tapped his foot on the carpet impatiently, arms crossed.

 

"There's evidence of another rogue conduit on the loose." He said. Delsin immediately got up, running a hand through his hair. "The police have a few crime scenes around the city, a lot of dead DUPs." Reggie said. Delsin picked his vest up off the ground and threw it on before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He emerged from the bathroom minutes later, motioning to the door. Reggie led him out of the motel and down the street.

 

"Any idea what kind of conduit they are?" Delsin asked as they almost jogged down the street. Reggie shook his head, and Delsin sighed in reply. Reggie pulled him into an alley, grimacing when they got to the scene. Several DUP soldiers were dead, covered in smoldering embers. Ash clouded the air heavily. "Must be another smoke guy." He said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

 

"You didn't think there was only one of each, did you?" Reggie asked, raising an eyebrow. Delsin shrugged in reply. He crouched down next to one of the bodies; Reggie stared at it wide eyed. "I never looked at them up close."

 

"They give me no choice." Delsin said softly, carefully avoiding Reggie's gaze.

 

"I know." Reggie said. Delsin got up, not answering his brother. There was a muffled sound on a few feet away. Delsin picked up a helmet that was still intact.

 

"We're in pursuit of Daughtry, cut him off at the bay!" A DUP soldier yelled through the headset. Delsin held it away from his ear, struggling to understand what they were saying.

 

"They're talking about Hank." He realized, dropping the helmet. Delsin took a step back, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

 

"I thought you said he was dead."

 

"He is! I saw Augustine kill him." He shook his head. "At least, I thought she killed him." Reggie was about to say something but was cut off by Delsin's phone ringing.

 

"You gotta tell a girl when you're rampaging downtown." Fetch said.

 

"That's not me." Delsin said. Fetch laughed in reply.

 

"Well I got a hell of a view of someone smoking some DUP choppers."

 

"You can see them? Where are you?"

"On top of a building at 12th and Union."

 

"I'll meet you there." He said before hanging up. He held up a hand when Reggie opened his mouth to speak. "You're not coming, it's way too dangerous."

 

"I can handle myself." Reggie said, rolling his eyes at Delsin. Delsin smoked through a vent, effectively ending the conversation. As he jumped onto the next rooftop, he laughed at Reggie cursing loudly in the alley below. He ignored his phone ringing in favor of making his way to Fetch via rooftop. When he got there, Fetch was standing on the edge of the building, eyes to the sky.

 

"Why do you care about him? You already got smoke, genius." She said, flicking his forehead. Delsin batted her hand away.

 

"I think it's Hank, the guy I got smoke from. If he busted out of Augustine's tower, maybe he can help me bust in." He said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Wanna tag along?"

 

"I don't think that's a good idea." She shook her head, crossing her arms. "I'll stay and watch the fireworks." Fetch said, cocking her head to the still smoldering remains of the choppers. "Watch yourself, okay? I don't trust that redneck." She said, catching his eye briefly. "Good luck." Fetch said before turning on her heel and dissolving into neon. Delsin watched her go before pursuing Hank. He landed on a rooftop a few feet from him. Hank, predictably, turned to smoke and ran away.

 

"Shit," Delsin muttered under his breath before running after him. "Wait!" He called after Hank on the next rooftop. "I just want to talk." He said, but Hank kept running. Finally, Delsin cornered him on the top of an apartment building. Or, at least he thought he did. He ran around the corner when Hank's fist collided with his face. He fell to the ground, whacking his forehead on the concrete. The world went dark, the last thing he saw was Hank standing over him.

 

Shit, he should've listened to Fetch.

 

***

 

When he woke up, it was to his ringtone.

 

"You really can't take a punch." Hank said, clearly amused.

 

"How the hell did you get my number?" Delsin asked, glaring at his phone. He sat up, stretching out his back.

 

"You're listed." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing. "Sorry about the whole sucker punch thing, but I couldn't talk to you till you calmed down."

 

"Hank, as a friend, fuck you." Delsin snarled, getting up.

 

"I'll call you back when you're calm."

 

"Wait!" Delsin said, pausing at the edge of the building. "I'm calm."

 

"You sure?"

"Look, I'm taking down Augustine and I need your help." He said in a rush, hoping Hank wouldn't hang up on him. Hank chuckled on the other end of the line.

 

"Where do I sign up?"

 

"Meet me by the waterfront." Delsin said before hanging up. He looked at his phone, frowning at the three missed calls from Reggie. He dialed his brother's number before he could regret it. "Hey, so I'm alive."

 

"I've been worried sick, you absolute ass." Reggie said. Delsin laughed when Reggie sighed. In the distance, more helicopters were circling. A few went down in grand explosions. Was Hank still causing trouble?

 

"I caught up with Hank, we're meeting by the waterfront."

 

"I don't think that's a good idea."

 

"You worry too much."

 

"Not enough." Reggie said. Delsin rolled his eyes and hung up. He turned to smoke, heading for the waterfront.

 

It was time to meet a ghost.

 

***

 

Delsin had been waiting by the waterfront for about an hour when Hank called him.

 

"Where the hell are you?" He demanded as soon as he picked up the phone.

 

"Chill, kid, I'm on my way. I just got in a little trouble." He said. Delsin huffed in reply. "What do you want with me anyway?"

 

"I need to get to Augustine. You broke out of her tower, surely you can help me break in." Delsin said in a rush.

 

"My specialty is breaking out, not in." Hank said. "No, if we want Augustine we gotta lure her out of her castle. There is a way to shut down her defenses, but it wouldn't do you no good." He said. Delsin started to talk but Hank cut him off. "She's got hundreds of DUP guarding that tower, it's no good."

 

"How do we get her out in the open?" Delsin said, pausing in his pacing.

 

"You know those two kids that was on the bus with me?" He asked. Delsin raised a brow, not liking where this was going.

 

"Fetch and Eugene?"

 

"I guess. Anyways, the DUP's got them." He said flippantly, as if it wasn't a big deal. Delsin froze on the spot, throat suddenly tight.

 

"What?" He said, hoping he'd misheard him.

 

"It just happened, that was all the commotion before. Guess she needed to nab them to make up for losing me." He said. Delsin couldn't move, couldn't think. Fetch and Eugene had been captured when he'd promised to protect them. _I'm not letting anything happen to you two crazy kids, okay?_ Now they were gone. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. "She's sending them out to that big concrete DUP platform between the two islands."

 

"I have to help them." Delsin said, almost a whisper. "I promised I would protect them."

 

"We'll get them back kid, don't you worry none." Hank said. Delsin didn't say anything in return. It was his fault they were gone. "There's a pier across from the platform, meet me there right after sunset." He said before hanging up. Delsin held his phone in his hand, looking out over the water. He still had an hour before sunset. He called Reggie.

 

"Augustine got Fetch and Eugene." He said as soon as Reggie picked up.

 

"I know," Reggie said quietly. "Del, I'm so sorry."

 

"Hank and I have a plan to get them back." He said, fist clenched at his side. "I'm not giving up on them."

 

"Delsin, listen," Reggie interrupted him before he could ramble more. "Lots of normal people have been getting caught in the crossfire lately, getting hurt."

 

"Normal people? Jesus, we're not going back to that are we?"

 

"Look, I just don't think I can help you with that."

 

"This is DUP we're talking about, they're far from normal! They're hurting a lot of normal people too." He said, trying to calm down. He didn't want to do this with him again, not after everything they'd been through. Delsin slowly unclenched his fist, waiting for Reggie to say anything. "You don't have to approve, I'm not asking you to come with me."

 

"I know." Reggie said. "Call me when it's done so we can head back to Salmon Bay." He said. Delsin bit down on his lip, stifling the urge to argue. "Be careful with Hank, I don't trust him."

 

"You worry too much." He said before hanging up. Delsin put his phone back in his pocket, turning on his heel. He ran down the street, trying to put the thoughts out of his head. Fetch and Eugene were captured. His only chance to get them back was working with Hank. Delsin turned to smoke to go through a vent and jumped from rooftop to rooftop. What if he couldn't get them back? He wished Fetch was here, teasing him for being such an idiot. Or Eugene, making a nerdy joke.

 

Augustine couldn't have them, Delsin decided. He was getting his friends back no matter what.

 

***

 

It was clouded over and raining when Delsin got to the pier. To his great surprise, it wasn't Hank waiting for him. Reggie was standing at the end, binoculars in hand.

 

"Reg? What are you doing here?" He asked, tapping Reggie's shoulder as he came to stand at his side. Reggie put down the binoculars, meeting Delsin's eyes briefly.

 

"Those are people over there, and they need our help. Not bio-terrorists or conduits, just people. They're your friends, I'll help you get them back if I can." He said. Delsin smiled despite himself, punching Reggie's arm lightly.

 

"Thanks." He said. Reggie nodded.

 

"What's a cop doing here?" Hank said as he came to a stop in front of them. Reggie turned to his brother, raising an eyebrow. Delsin put a hand out to stop him.

 

"He's my brother, he's here for me." He shot Reggie a look, silently begging him to shut up. Reggie conceded, settling for glaring at Hank from a distance. "What's your plan?"

 

"Well, there's a dock on the far side that's less guarded. I think that's our best bet for getting in. I figured you two can do your smoke," he hesitated a little, glaring at Hank, "Gift."

 

"Thank you." Delsin said, clapping him on the back.

 

"That'll draw their attention. Meanwhile, I'll commandeer a boat and go around the back during the distraction." He said, smirking. Reggie was clearly very proud of his plan, and Delsin didn't have the energy to make fun of him.

 

"Why are you going in first?" Hank asked, arms crossed over his chest.

 

"I'm a cop, so when I commandeer a boat it's legal. If you steal a boat on my watch I'll haul you in." He said, not flinching when Hank got in his face. Delsin bit his lip to keep from laughing.

 

"He'll do it, trust me." Delsin said, sticking an arm out between the two of them. "We'll see you inside." He said to Reggie, who nodded in return before turning on his heel and leaving them. Hank watched him go, scowling at his back.

 

"Stay safe." Reggie said as he rounded a corner. Hank turned to Delsin, motioning to Reggie's general direction.

 

"You shouldn't have brought a cop." He said. Delsin shrugged. "I know a way into the island where we won't be seen."

 

"By all means, lead the way." He said, following when Hank turned to smoke. He followed him across the pier, hoping Reggie was wrong about this being a mistake. It was the only way. They stopped in front of a large vent.

 

"We go in here, it should take us to the middle of it."

 

"Cool," he said. Before Hank could smoke through the vent, he grabbed a hold of his sleeve. "I thought Augustine killed you, back in Salmon Bay. What happened?"

 

"She shut me up." He said, yanking his sleeve from Delsin's grip. "Now, there's one of those core relays around, the one you get powers from. It'd be nice to have more before you go up against Augustine, yeah?"

 

"How do you know about that?" Delsin asked, suddenly suspicious. He took a step back from Hank, half tempted to call it off.

 

"Do you trust me?" He said, not making a move towards Delsin. Delsin eyed him, mind racing. Fetch and Eugene needed him; he couldn't let Hank get to him.

 

"I don't know." He said finally after a few moments of careful silence. Hank shook his head, chuckling.

 

"You're smarter than you look." Hank said before turning into smoke and dashing through the vent. Delsin cussed under his breath before following. They came out on the bottom floor of the island. Hank didn't wait long for him to catch his breath before running off. "We're gonna destroy these support structures, and Augustine will come running." He stopped in front of a large concrete pillar, motioning for Delsin to join him.

 

"That's pretty thick concrete." Delsin said, standing on the other side of it.

 

"If we work together we can crack it." Hank said before putting his hands on the pillar. Delsin followed suit, and the two of them poured smoke into it until it cracked. Delsin stumbled back before following Hank. DUP soldiers came running as expected, and Delsin caught them with a ball of smoke. Hank and Delsin made their way through the soldiers, fighting back to back. Delsin lashed out with a chain at a nearby group; Hank laughed as they were flung off the edge.

 

They got to another support pillar and cracked it together. Delsin wiped dust out of his eyes, coughing. Suddenly a DUP soldier flung a jagged piece of concrete at him, catching him in the ribs. Delsin fell back dangerously close to the edge. The soldier lifted his gun, but before he could shoot Hank knocked him down with a smoke missile. Hank offered him his hand, which Delsin took.

 

"We make a pretty good team." Delsin said as they fought their way through more DUP soldiers.

 

"It's gonna take all of us to stop Augustine." Hank said before turning to smoke. Delsin followed without complaint. Eventually, all the soldiers were gone and they cracked the last support pillar. "You ready to get another power?" Hank asked as he broke concrete off a vent. Delsin nodded, following him as they smoked to the upper level. Hank led him to a core relay in the middle of the second floor. Delsin came to a stop in front of it, circling around it when he couldn't see a familiar blue glow. It wasn't on; there was something wrong. "What, now you don't trust me?"

 

"Something's not right." Delsin put his hands on his hips, inclining his head toward the core relay. "Maybe I should call Reggie." He said. Then his hands were encased in concrete, a sensation he unfortunately was familiar with. His hands were imprisoned in front of him, the concrete slowly crawling up his arms. Augustine floated up on a concrete platform, and all Delsin could do was watch in horror. Hank made no move to flee, as if he'd been waiting for her.

 

"Henry, you didn't disappoint me! How refreshing." She said as she walked to them leisurely. Son of a bitch, he should've listened to Reggie.

 

"Just keep your end of the bargain." Hank said as he ran toward the end of the island. Delsin didn't say anything, he was too angry to speak. He turned to face Augustine, mouth set in a hard line.

 

"No jokes this time?" Augustine arched a thin eyebrow, staring him down. "What a pity." She said before covering his feet and legs with concrete. Delsin looked beyond her, relief flooding him when he saw Reggie standing on the other end of the island. Was that a rocket launcher? "Any last words?"

 

"Duck?" He said, biting his lip to keep from laughing when she blinked owlishly at him. Moments later, Reggie fired the rocket launcher, blasting Augustine straight off the platform. The concrete around his feet crumbled away and he was flung back, skidding across the concrete platform. He stood up, his hands still trapped. "You almost hit me!"

 

"Don't be so dramatic!" Reggie yelled, cupping one hand over his mouth. "You're fine!" He said, cracking a smile when Delsin rolled his eyes. "Come find me, I'll get those cuffs off." He said. Delsin looked around for a way to get to him, heading up a ramp behind him. "What happened?"

 

"Hank sold us out, it was trap." Delsin yelled as he made his way up the ramp to the next floor.

 

"I told you!" Reggie said as Delsin ran through the hall. Delsin scoffed as he turned a corner, emerging into what looked like an arena. It had tall concrete walls on all sides with a ramp leading up to a small platform near the front. Fetch and Eugene were floating above the platform, hands trapped in concrete. Reggie was standing on the platform, rocket launcher in hand. Delsin sprinted up the ramp, ducking when DUP started firing at him. Reggie blew them away with a rocket as Delsin came to a stop in front of him. "Sorry, that was my last rocket. We'll have to do this the old fashioned way. Put your hands out." Delsin held his hands out, flinching when Reggie brought the rocket launcher down swiftly, cracking the concrete. He hit it again, and Delsin stumbled back when it broke.

 

"How are you guys holding up?" He said, looking up at his friends.

 

"Get us out of here!" Fetch yelled, kicking her feet uselessly. Eugene was silent, his expression blank.

 

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out." Delsin said before turning to Reggie, who'd thrown the rocket launcher to the side.

 

"I knew we couldn't trust him." Reggie said, looking up at Fetch and Eugene. Delsin clapped him on the back once, shaking his head when Reggie opened his mouth to argue. "I could shoot them down."

 

"What if you miss?" Fetch protested, glaring at Reggie.

 

"I won't miss." He said as he pulled the pistol form its holster. Fetch shouted as he shot, hitting the concrete. Delsin helped him, carefully aiming smoke at their restraints. They only got a few shots in before the three concrete pillars floating around them closed, shutting them in a concrete shell. Delsin whirled around, cursing under his breath when Augustine walked into the arena. She lifted his friends higher into the air while concrete grew over Reggie's legs.

 

"Leave my brother alone!" Delsin shouted, heart pounding as he stared her down. With a smirk, she dropped her hand, the concrete holding Fetch and Eugene crashed through the platform. His stomach dropped as he fell, his hand catching the ledge at the last second. Reggie grabbed his other hand; both of them held on tight. "Hold on!" He said, trying to lift Reggie higher. He gritted his teeth, holding tight on the ledge. Delsin stared down at the water, knowing Fetch and Eugene were fast sinking to the bottom of the bay. He promised he'd save them, now they were drowning. He couldn't fail Reggie too.

 

Concrete was quickly growing over Reggie, much to Delsin's horror.

 

"Delsin," Reggie looked up at him. "You gotta let me go." He said, meeting his brother's eye briefly. Delsin shook his head, throat constricting. He couldn’t breathe, couldn't think.

 

"I’m not letting you go." He said, grip tightening on his brother's wrist. "I can do this!"

 

"We can't let it get you too." Reggie said quietly. Delsin hated it, how logical and detached he seemed from it. He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, shaking his head again. "I'm so proud of you, always have been."

 

"No," Delsin choked out, lip trembling. "Don't let go."

 

"I love you brother." Reggie said. As Reggie let go of Delsin's hand, time seemed to slow. Delsin watched, horrified, as his brother dropped into the bay. Reggie was there one second, just in reach, then he was gone. Delsin couldn't hear anything aside from the ringing in his ears. He swung an arm over the ledge, pushing himself up. Reggie was gone, and it was Augustine's fault. He got to his feet quickly, fists clenched as he stared down Augustine. He couldn't save Reggie, or his friends. He wanted to scream, wanted to do anything but stand there.

 

He ran towards her, just as Augustine ascended on a small concrete platform. She surrounded her body with flying concrete chunks. Delsin fired at them, chipping away her defense. As soon as it fell, he fired a smoke missile right at her. She crashed hard on the ground, sliding several feet. Delsin whipped his chain around, catching Augustine hard in the ribs.

 

"You killed him!" He said, swinging again but missing. She got up on another platform, shooting jagged spears of concrete as she flew around the arena. Delsin chipped away at her shields again, kicking her when she was down. Hiding behind one of the generators, Delsin caught his breath for only a split second before she was on him again. He fired another cinder missile, smoking to her when she fell. This time, he propelled himself high into the air, flying down to create a crater of smoke in his wake. Augustine was flung against the wall, and the foundations started shaking. She stood up, responding in kind with a massive concrete boulder that she flung his way.

 

Oh shit, Delsin thought as he smoked just barely out of the way. The island was coming down on top of them, and he had nowhere to go but into the water. Augustine disappeared into the concrete while Delsin scrambled off the edge, plunging into the bay. The water hit him like a brick, the breath knocked out of him. He let himself sink, eyes closed. Did it really matter if he survived this or not? No, Delsin thought, Reggie didn't die for this. With that thought in mind, Delsin kicked his legs hard until he broke the surface.

 

Night was descending on Seattle, and he could barely see a few feet in front of him. He saw a distant light, hoping it would lead him to shore. Delsin swam as fast as he could, weighed down by his clothes. Finally, he got hold of a pier and dragged himself on top of it. Shaking, he curled up in a ball on top of the dock. Reggie was gone, Fetch and Eugene too. It was his fault, he should've been stronger; he should've known Hank would betray him. Tears blurred his vision, he breathed shallowly.

 

There was nothing to ground him, nobody to force him out of his mind. Reggie was gone, and it was his fault. Everything was his fault. Delsin forced himself to his feet, wiping his tears on his jacket sleeve. _I'm so proud of you._ He couldn't give up, not now.

 

Delsin couldn't save Reggie, but he could find Hank. A DUP truck was parked near the pier, DUP soldiers milling around it casually. Delsin walked there on shaking legs before launching into the air and landing hard between them. He lashed out with his chain, knocking them off their feet. Delsin took them out systematically, not bothering to subdue them. Delsin lifted up one of the coughing DUP soldiers, slamming him down into the pavement.

 

"Where's Hank?" He demanded, glaring at the soldier. When he didn't reply, Delsin punched him hard in the stomach. The DUP gasped for air, coughing. "I'll give you one more chance: Where's Hank?"

 

"I'm not telling you anything." The DUP soldier said. Delsin snarled, subduing him with a ball of smoke. He got to his feet, flinching when smoke exploded in the distance. Well, at least he knew Hank was alive. Delsin smoked up a building, squinting at the horizon. Where was he? Delsin got out of his phone, opening the app Eugene made to track DUP comms. His hands shook, he couldn't stop thinking of them. He failed them; he wasn't good enough. The thoughts replayed over and over in his head while Delsin struggled not to hyperventilate. DUP soldiers shouting broke him from his thoughts.

 

"Hank's en route to the marina, stop him!" A soldier yelled through the comms. Another explosion took a chunk out of a building not too far from him. Delsin closed the app, stuffing his phone into his pocket before turning to smoke. Hank was gonna pay for what he did. The blood pounded in his ears as he made his way to the docks on the far side of the island; he didn't bother to engage DUP on the way, they'd just slow him down. Hank wasn't getting away, not this time. When he got to the marina, Hank was fighting off a few DUP. Delsin landed hard between them, taking them out quickly with his chain.

 

He rushed Hank, kicking his knee. Hank buckled, hitting the dock with a sick thump.

 

"You son of a bitch. She killed Reggie!" Delsin said, kicking him again in the ribs before Hank could crawl away.

 

"I didn't know, I swear." Hank said, scrambling away from him. Delsin yanked him up by his shirt's collar, slamming him against the dock's railing.

 

"You set us up!" Delsin snarled in his face, struggling to control the smoke in his fingertips.

 

"She said she wasn't gonna hurt nobody; she promised she just wanted to talk."

 

"You believed her?" Delsin said, voice cracking on the last word. "My friends are dead, and it's your fault!" Delsin shouted, silencing Hank's sputtering. His head was spinning, he wanted to make him pay.

 

"She had my daughter." Hank said as his hands lit up with smoke. Delsin didn't have a chance to react as he was flung across the dock. Hank fell to his knees, struggling to breathe. Delsin got to his feet, advancing on Hank.

 

"Dad? Where are you?" A voice came from the bay. Delsin froze on the spot; there was a girl on a boat in the bay. Hank crawled towards the sound, but didn't get far when Delsin pulled his chain out, wrapping it around Hank's neck. He wanted to hurt him, and it would be so easy. His fingers tightened around the chain as Hank choked. "Dad!" The girl yelled again. The sound made something in Delsin's chest tighten. Reggie wouldn't want this. He released Hank, pushing him forward. Delsin stepped back, wrapping the chain around his wrist. He leaned heavily against the railing, turning back to look at Hank. He inclined his head towards the bay, towards Hank's daughter.

 

"You could come with us." Hank said, his voice barely above a whisper. Delsin caught his eye briefly, shaking his head. "You can disappear, leave 'fore you get killed."

 

"Stay safe Hank." Delsin said, turning on his heel and walking away. His hands shook, he was gonna be sick. He walked off the docks and turned, heading to an alley. He barely made it before retching all over the ground. Delsin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing. Oh god, he almost killed Hank. He was almost glad Reggie wasn't here to see him like this. Delsin pushed off the wall, staggering down the alley.

 

"Citizens of Seattle, it's time to take back our city from the bio-terrorist menaces!" Augustine's voice boomed out of some sort of PA system. Delsin flinched at the sound of it, gritting his teeth. He smoked to the top of a building, looking out over the city. Augustine's tower shone brightly against the Seattle skyline, situated smack dab in the middle of downtown. "Bio-terrorists must be locked away, to protect everyone!" She said. Delsin scoffed, smoking from rooftop to rooftop. He dropped down into the street, freezing when everyone stared at him.

 

"It wasn't bio-terrorists who killed my wife, it was the DUP!" A man in the crowd shouted. Delsin relaxed slightly when the crowd agreed.

 

"The DUP are the real threat!" Another person shouted. Delsin smiled despite himself before smoking through the crowd. Nobody screamed in fear, he figured it was good progress. He made his way through the streets, carefully avoiding DUP patrols trying to calm the crowds. It wouldn't help anyone if more civilians were killed by DUP.

 

"People of Seattle, it has come to my attention that the bio-terrorist Delsin Rowe is on another rampage." Augustine's voice came over the loud speakers again. "He must be brought to justice!" She said. Delsin rolled his eyes as he ran past another crowd of protestors. Augustine must be delusional if she really thought Seattle was on her side. Eventually he came to a power box on a roof adjacent to her tower. It was the one Hank talked about earlier, how to shut down her defenses. He knew hundreds of DUP would be waiting, the only obstacle between him and Augustine. He had no help, no backup if things went wrong. He hesitated, chain ready to destroy it. No, Reggie's sacrifice couldn't be for nothing. It was what Eugene and Fetch would want. Taking a deep breath, Delsin destroyed the power box.

 

The lights went off on her tower, much to Delsin's delight. The electric fence protecting the outside died. Delsin took a running leap onto a platform on the side of the tower, subduing every DUP in sight as he made his way up the tower. He reached a platform higher up, frowning when he saw a vent was covered in concrete. A group of DUP descended on him, not leaving him much time to despair. He cursed when one knocked him down with a spike of concrete. He scrambled to his feet, the breath knocked out of him by a well-aimed punch. Delsin stumbled, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly, the DUP was encased in a bubble of neon. Delsin looked to the left, mouth open in disbelief as Fetch took out the rest of the DUP.

 

"Saw a trail of bodies, and I thought of you. Hope you don't mind me interrupting your fun." She said, still soaking wet from her swim in the bay. Delsin's brain short circuited, hope bloomed in his chest for the first time since he saw them fall into the water. Fetch grinned at him, running at him to squeeze him in a tight hug. He laughed in disbelief, arms coming around to clutch at her jacket.

 

"I thought you were dead." He said softly, bending down to her ear. She smelled like salt water, but he didn't care. She leaned away from him, punching him softly on the arm.

 

"Takes more than a dip in the bay to kill me." Fetch said before flicking him on the nose. His lip trembled as he struggled not to cry.

 

"What about Eugene?"

 

"Teen angel is fine, don't you worry." Fetch said before stepping away from him. Delsin wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve.

 

"This mean you're along for the ride?" He asked, desperately wanting her to say yes. He didn't know what he'd do without her. Delsin took a cautious step toward her. Fetch bit her lip before nodding.

 

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She said, offering him a small grin. She inclined her head toward the concrete covered vent, blasting it off so Delsin could dash into it. She followed him up, and the two of them fought their way up the tower. Fetch uncovered another vent for him that he went through, smoke dashing his way to the next platform. Two helicopters were waiting for him, and he froze mid step. Oh shit.

 

"This would be a good time for some backup!" He shouted, heart pounding.

 

"Ask and ye shall receive!" Eugene boomed, flying up the roof as He Who Dwells and swinging his massive sword at the helicopters. They went down easily, leaving Delsin smiling from ear to ear. Eugene and Fetch helped him clear out the remaining DUP. There was no one he'd rather have at his side.

 

"Thanks for the assist!" He said when it was done, giving Eugene a thumbs up.

 

"It's good to have friends in high places!" Eugene said, his voice still booming. Delsin didn't think He Who Dwells had an inside voice. There was a satellite, so he drained video. He used his wings to jet up the side of the building, finally landing on the roof. It was pretty solid, he didn't know how they'd get through.

 

"I could probably cut through this, just give me a few minutes." Fetch said before gathering neon in her hands. It blasted out in a neat beam; she moved it slowly through the roof. DUP landed on the roof, and Delsin busied himself defending Fetch. Eugene, of course, did his fair share as He Who Dwells. She cut a circle through the roof, giving a thumbs up to Delsin.

 

"Go forth and defeat Augustine!" Eugene shouted as one of his angels carried a DUP soldier off the roof. "The lady and I will protect you!" Eugene said. Delsin nodded and dashed at a satellite, which propelled him high into the air. He focused video energy, coming down on the roof feet first. It crumbled under his weight and he landed hard on his knees inside the tower. He got up, brushing dust off his jeans.

 

"Oh good, you're here." Augustine said as she walked out of the shadows. "I've been watching you, Delsin Rowe. I know you've assembled quite the bag of tricks."

 

"Well I've been watching you too." Delsin said, struggling to keep his voice even. "I know what you did. Setting Hank up, making Eugene and Fetch look like monsters so you could be a hero." His fists were clenched tight at his sides.

 

"Someone has to protect conduits." She said flippantly. Delsin backed away slightly, raising a brow at her statement.

 

"Protect? I think you mean imprison."

 

"Since the DUP took control over Curdun Cay, none of our kind has been killed." She crossed her arms over her chest. Delsin scoffed.

 

"Because you lock them up!" Delsin was almost shouting, and he willed himself to calm down. His heart was pounding, mouth dry.

 

"In Curdun Cay they're safe, protected from mobs who would see them dead. I'm doing what's best for them." Augustine said, taking a step towards him. Delsin held his ground, unwilling to show any weakness. "I know the people love you. You have to use that popularity for good, convince them the only solution is the DUP." She said, extending a hand towards him. Delsin shook his head, spitting on the ground in front of her.

 

"I'm gonna expose you and your deception; we'll see what the people think of your DUP then." He said, holding her gaze steady. She backed away, glaring at him.

 

"You'd be sentencing conduits to death. I can't let you do that." She said before floating up on a concrete platform and surrounding herself with a shield of circling concrete discs.

 

"You won't stop me." Delsin promised, taking a running start as she flung concrete at him. He turned, firing a video missile at her. She retaliated by moving concrete through the floor in a wave, trying to knock Delsin off his feet. He kicked hard off the ground, using his video wings to fly over them. When her shields fell, he quickly barraged her with video until she was knocked off the platform. Delsin ran to her, kicking her hard in the ribs. She cried out, trying to crawl away; Delsin got her with his chain before she enclosed herself in a shell of concrete. Augustine floated away on another small platform, and Delsin followed with missiles ready. They danced around each other like this for what seemed like forever until Delsin drained video from one of the numerous TV screens on the wall; he turned to her, lying on the floor, and summoned a barrage of angels to her. They attacked as one until Delsin was drained.

 

"Okay," she said as Delsin walked up to her. "You want my power?" She held out her gloved hand. Delsin grabbed it, preparing himself to be drawn into her mind.

 

_Seven years ago, my unit was called to defend the people from a new threat: conduits. These people had powers nobody understood. Their powers could kill people, and turn some of us into conduits too. I found another survivor, and we worked together to get back to the safety of my battalion. The city was lawless, filled with people who wanted to kill us just for existing. People like us were lynched every day, the powerless terrified at the thought of a conduit living among them. We'd hurt no one, but they still hated us._

_When the military finally intervened, they treated us as the threat. I was a conduit and a soldier, but I couldn't be both. I made another option, the only way to survive. I captured the girl I'd been travelling with and brought her in alive. After that first conduit, I'd earned the government's trust. They funded the DUP, thinking we were freaks hunting down other freaks. That wasn't true; I was going to save as many conduits as I could. If we were going to live, it would be behind the walls of Curdun Cay._

Delsin came to on the floor as Augustine got herself up on shaky legs. He followed, cursing under his breath when he stumbled.

 

"I've kept them safe for seven years! I won't let you take that away from me."

 

"All you did was jail them, take away their freedom." Delsin stood up finally, glaring at Augustine.

 

"What would you do? Throw open the gates at Curdun Cay?"

 

"In a heartbeat." Delsin said, meeting her eyes defiantly. She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

 

"You're too naïve Delsin, the world hasn't changed in seven years." Augustine backed away from him. "You have my power now, isn't that what you wanted? The only difference is I've had seven years to practice." With that, she floated into the air; moments later she was encased in a concrete shell. Delsin took an unsteady step back slack jawed. She put massive arms on either side, using them to carry her around the room. Delsin ran, dodging every time she tried to squish him underneath one of them.

 

"Eugene!" He shouted as he ducked out of the way. "I need some help! I can't use anything, I need a core relay!"

 

"Hold on, I'll see what I can do!" Eugene said before flying away. Delsin cursed when a jagged spike of concrete smacked his shoulder. He rolled away from it, wincing at the popping sound his knees made. Suddenly, Eugene was flying up the side of the building and throwing a core relay through the window. Delsin ducked his head as glass rained down on him. The core relay was broken open, so Delsin went around the back, crouching down to drain its power. He dropped to the ground, encasing himself in concrete armor.

 

"Thanks! See if you can find some more!" He said. Eugene flew away in response, so Delsin concentrated on staying alive until he got back. Minutes later, Eugene threw another one through the window. Again, Delsin drained it. This time, he had some concrete projectiles of his own. He fired them at Augustine, but it was like firing a bb gun at a bulletproof vest.

 

"I'll be back!" Eugene promised as he flew away. Delsin started chipping away at her armor while she chased him around the room in her massive concrete armor. Eugene threw yet another core relay in through a window, which Delsin drained just like the others. He threw a couple of large concrete discs at her, smirking when she stumbled back. That was more like it. It went on like this, him dodging and shooting at her when he could, and her trying to smash him. Eventually, after he fired one last missile, her concrete armor crumbled to nothing. She fell to the ground, and Delsin took the opportunity to rush her.

 

She screamed when concrete trapped her legs and quickly grew up her body. Delsin stood over her, trying to suppress a grin.

 

"I'm told that hurts." Delsin said. She didn't say anything in response. He covered Augustine's body in concrete, all except her eyes. "I want you to see me dismantle your screwed up system." He said, leaving her on the floor. Delsin walked under the hole in the roof, the fighting on top had gone silent. "Hey guys! Augustine won't be causing any more trouble, come on down." Delsin shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. Eugene floated down, turning back to normal as he landed. Fetch did the same, grinning from ear to ear. Delsin ran to them, scooping both of them into a bone-crushing hug. Fetch protested but wrapped her arms around him. Eugene hesitantly clung to him as he was lifted from the ground.

 

"We did it!" Fetch exclaimed. Delsin laughed, spinning them around once before releasing them. Eugene looked a bit shell shocked, but offered Delsin a nervous grin. "What should we do with her?" She walked over to Augustine and kicked her concrete prison.

 

"We'll let the cops deal with her." He waved a hand to her dismissively. "For now, let's find a way to get the word out."

 

"This is where they've been broadcasting the news." Eugene said, motioning to the monitors hanging from the wall. "I'm sure we could hijack their equipment for a while."

 

"You're a genius." Delsin said. He stepped over Augustine, the three of them in search of the broadcasting room. Sure enough, they came upon a room full of cameras and sound equipment. Delsin flicked on the lights and took a seat at the reporter's desk. "Think you can figure it out?" He said, looking over at Eugene, who was messing with a soundboard.

 

"Yeah, give me a minute." He said, twisting and turning various knobs. Fetch leaned against the wall, watching the boys carefully. After a few minutes, Eugene was grinning as the board lit up. "Okay, we can start broadcasting any time." He said. "Ready?" Eugene asked. When Delsin nodded, he flipped a switch that turned the cameras on. "You're on."

 

"Hey Seattle," Delsin gave the camera his best smile, waving at the viewers. "Delsin Rowe here, your friendly local conduit, just wanted to have a little chat. So, Augustine is defeated, ready to be taken in by the police. Or the military, either one will do. Now, I'm sure you've heard her telling everyone how dangerous us conduits are." He pointed at himself. "Well, I hope we can change that. I want to free the conduits, but for us to live together we're gonna have to do some work. It's time to drive the DUP out of our city for good, let's make a better future where all of us can live together." Delsin said, shooting the camera another winning smile. He nodded to Eugene, who shut the camera off. "How was that?"

 

"You were great, smokes." Fetch said and Eugene nodded in agreement. "Let's get out of here."

 

"I second that." Eugene said, following Fetch out of the room. He paused by Augustine, motioning to her vaguely with one hand. "Should we call someone about this?"

 

"I'll let the police know where she is, I'm sure they can handle her on their own." Delsin said before getting out his phone and dialing the station's number. It rang for a while, considering it was probably after midnight. Delsin didn't really know, and he didn't care. When someone finally picked up, Delsin cut them off before they could begin. "Delsin Rowe here, I've got Augustine at the top of the DUP tower. She's trapped in concrete; we'll unlock the door for you guys on the way out. Have fun." He said, almost as an after thought before hanging up. He led them over to the elevators, and they rode one down to the bottom floor. Delsin unlocked the front door and held it open for Fetch and Eugene.

 

All three of them walked out with their heads held high, refusing to be intimidated by the remaining DUP. Most stood with their hands up in surrender, and they walked right by them. Delsin led the way to one of their favorite diners, and they ignored the stares as they walked in. The group settled in a booth near the back. Joyce came by to take their order, looking bored as usual.

 

"Hey Joyce," Delsin greeted her. "We'll have the usual." He said, shooting her a smile. She nodded, writing something down on her notepad before walking away. The three of them sat in silence, everyone completely exhausted.

 

"I'm sorry about your brother." Fetch said, voice barely above a whisper. She leaned over the table, putting her hand over his. Delsin nodded, his throat going tight again. He turned his hand over, lacing their fingers together. Eugene hesitated for a moment before putting his hand on top of theirs. Delsin's hand was shaking, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Fetch rubbed her thumb slowly over his hand, not saying anything.

 

"Sorry," Delsin said, wiping his glassy eyes with his jacket sleeve. "We should be celebrating."

 

"You don't have to be happy right now." Eugene said, catching Delsin's eye. "We get it." He said. Delsin nodded, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat. Joyce returned with three mugs of coffee before walking away to serve another table. When their food came, Eugene and Fetch dug in pretty viciously. Delsin ate slower, his stomach still in knots. When they finished and Joyce brought the check, Delsin put down a few twenties. They left without waiting for change, ignoring the crowd that had gathered while they ate. People whispered as they walked past, but at least they weren't running for their lives. Eventually, they got to a rooftop by the bay. They went up top, settling down on the edge. It was still dark out, and they smelled like saltwater.

 

Fetch sat between Delsin and Eugene, swinging her legs. Delsin fiddled with his thumbs on his lap, and Eugene was tugging at a loose string on his hoodie.

 

"Who would've thought a gamer, a junkie, and a delinquent would end up saving Seattle?" Delsin asked, bumping Fetch's shoulder with his. She swatted at him.

 

"Probably no one, but fuck 'em." Fetch said. Eugene laughed in response. She punched his shoulder lightly. Delsin batted her hand away halfheartedly before looking up at the stars. They won. He had Augustine's power and could save the Akomish. It was almost a perfect ending, he only wished Reggie was here to see it.

 

 

He wanted to make Reggie proud.

 

***

 

**July 28 th, 2018**

It took longer than expected to get back to Salmon Bay. They'd driven out the DUP for good, and everyone had questions. Reporters asking for interviews hounded them all of yesterday. After the first two, Fetch was at her wit's end. Thankfully, she escaped before snapping. Delsin handled them for the rest of the day. Besides that, there wasn't a bridge left to get back to the mainland. Thankfully, the marina was willing to let him borrow a boat. That was how he found himself in front of Reggie's truck. It had been sitting there since they had to abandon it to get around the DUP roadblocks. Reggie left his car keys in one of their duffle bags, along with a lot of other things Delsin didn't know what to do with.

 

Eugene and Fetch offered to come with him, but this was something he needed to do alone. Delsin swallowed past the lump in his throat as he unlocked the car, stepping into the truck carefully. He adjusted the seat, his hand hesitating when he put the key in the ignition. Delsin started it up, his heart pounding. It was okay, he kept telling himself. Reggie wouldn't mind. He remembered the day he took Reggie's truck out for a joy ride. He smiled despite himself at Reggie's annoyed look. He promised never to take Reggie's truck out again, but he figured these were exceptional circumstances. Delsin set his duffle bag on the passenger seat before putting the car into drive and turning around.

 

The drive home was silent; Delsin didn't feel much like turning on the radio. He had no idea what to say to Betty, or anyone really. He'd tried to think of what to say all night, but he was still drawing a blank. What was there to say? Sorry I got Reggie killed, but now I can cure everyone! No objections, right? He imagined saying that, and knew it'd get him kicked out of the longhouse in a second.

 

He parked in front of said longhouse about twenty minutes later, putting the parking brake on. Delsin took the keys out of the ignition and put them in his pocket. He left his bag on the front seat, locking the car as he approached the front door. Delsin wondered if he should knock, but thought better of it. He pushed the door open, weaving through the hospital beds and memorials. This was his fault, but he was gonna fix it now. His hands were sweaty as he made his way to the back, looking for Betty. Delsin wiped them on his jeans, biting his lip. Finally, he rounded a corner and saw Betty sleeping soundly on a hospital bed.

 

Delsin sat down carefully on the bed. He put his hand on hers, taking a deep breath before shaking her awake. When she opened her eyes, she smiled at the sight of him.

 

"Delsin, you're back!" She exclaimed, holding his hand tight. Delsin put his free hand over her calf, absorbing the concrete. "It's gone." She said, looking at him with a strange wonder.

 

"I promised I'd fix this mess." Delsin said, offering her a small smile. Betty laughed, clearly happy to be free. "You're my first stop."

 

"Thank you, Delsin."

 

"We're Akomish, we look after our own." He said, chuckling when she grabbed his other hand and squeezed them both tight,

 

"Where's Reggie?" She asked, looking beyond him. Delsin's heart dropped, he looked down at his lap. Betty pinned him with a stare, gasping when Delsin shook his head.

 

"Reggie's gone." He said finally, his voice cracking. "He saved me." Delsin said, shaking. Betty pulled him into a hug, and he clutched at her nightgown. "It's my fault," he said, voice muffled by fabric. "I wasn't strong enough."

 

"Delsin Rowe," Betty said softly as she pulled away from him. He couldn't meet her eye; he didn't want to see her disappointment. "Look at me." She said softly. Delsin shook his head, biting his lip. Betty gently lifted his chin with one hand. "It wasn't your fault. It's okay now, it'll be okay."

 

"I'm so sorry." Delsin said, his eyes misty. "I never meant for this to happen."

 

"I know," she said. "We're gonna be okay, you'll see." Betty reassured him, letting his chin go to hug him again. Delsin wrapped his arms around her, feeling like he could break at any second. Betty didn't say anything, just held him tight.

 

For a moment, Delsin believed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act II
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me y'all!! I hope to have Act III finished by the end of December or mid January.


	3. Act III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so hi i'm officially dead™
> 
> please enjoy
> 
> also, a side note, i know in the canon delsin sees the crime scene with brent in the campaign but i said no on that, so he hasn't seen it as of the start of act iii

_"Hope is the thing with feathers -_

_That perches in the soul -_

_And sings the tune without the words -_

_And never stops - at all –"_

-Emily Dickinson, "Hope is the thing with feathers"

 

**November 19 th, 2018**

"I miss you." Fetch murmured, her voice barely audible through the phone. Delsin paused in his pacing, eyes flickering closed. God, he missed her and Eugene so much it hurt sometimes. He was in Salmon Bay; they were in Seattle. It was nothing a short drive couldn't fix but they were always so damn busy.

 

"You guys are still coming for Thanksgiving, right?" Delsin asked, looking out his bedroom window.

 

"Don't be stupid smokes, of course we're coming." Fetch said. Delsin could almost picture Fetch rolling her eyes. "Eugene's real excited, you know. He acts like you're bringing us home to meet the parents or something."

 

"At least one of you cares about making a good impression." Delsin said, smiling when Fetch huffed. "Just tell him not to go overboard, I don't want him showing up in a tuxedo."

 

"I'm on it." She said. A few moments of comfortable silence passed between them. It was well past midnight, but Delsin didn't want to hang up yet. Fetch yawned, which pretty much sealed the phone call's fate. "I wish we had longer, but I'm really tired." Fetch said quietly.

 

"Me too." Delsin said, trying to resist the temptation to yawn. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, text me when you get here."

 

"I will." Fetch said. Another moment of silence passed.

 

"You hang up first." Delsin said.

 

"Okay." Fetch said before hanging up on him. Delsin stared at his phone in disbelief, smiling widely.

 

He probably should've expected that.

 

***

 

**November 20 th, 2018**

Delsin spent the whole morning cleaning Betty's house, much to Betty's amusement. He just finished doing the laundry when Betty silently handed him a cup of coffee. It was lukewarm, so he warmed it quickly with a bit of smoke.

 

"These friends of yours must really be something special." Betty said as she sat down next to him. Delsin nodded in reply. "They've certainly got you in a tizzy."

 

"I gotta make a good impression here, they've never been to Salmon Bay." He said, motioning to the nearly spotless living room.

 

"Maybe your friends should visit more often." She said, chuckling when Delsin rolled his eyes. "I'll leave you to it, I still need to get groceries. Do your friends like soup?"

 

"I'm fairly sure you could cook anything and they'd devour it. Like hyenas," Delsin said, mimicking a clawing motion for emphasis. Betty shook her head, a fond smile crossing her lips before she got up.

 

"I'll see you later." She said as she ducked out of the front door with car keys in hand. Delsin waved after her, and then took the basket of clothes up to his room. He whistled as he put clothes away, checking it off his mental task list. All he had left to do was vacuum, and that was easy enough. Delsin vacuumed the house quickly, eager to be done. Once it was done, he headed back to his room, intending to only take a quick nap.

 

Intentions, however, only went so far.

 

***

 

Delsin awoke to a loud, constant, beeping on his phone. He wiped his eyes, blindly reaching for his phone. He squinted, cursing under his breath when he saw fifteen unopened texts from Fetch. They ranged from a simple "we're here" to "Delsin open this door you asshole". Delsin quickly got up, running to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He rushed down the stairs, opening the door wide. Fetch was sitting on the front steps next to Eugene, who was playing a game on his phone. She looked up, trying very hard to scowl when she saw Delsin.

 

"Smokes, you ass." She said before launching herself into his arms. Delsin staggered, attempting not to drop her. Fetch laughed, punching his chest softly. Eugene pocketed his phone before being pulled into the embrace. "You fall asleep or something?" Fetch asked once they pulled back.

 

"No," Delsin said. Fetch raised a brow, giving him a skeptical look.

 

"You totally did." Eugene said. Delsin shrugged, and Fetch rolled her eyes in reply.

 

"Here, come in." Delsin motioned to the house with one hand. "Can I help with bags?" He asked. Fetch pointed to a small pile of luggage in front of the steps. Delsin grabbed what he could, and Eugene got the rest. Fetch closed the door behind them. "My room is upstairs." He said, leading them through the living room and up the stairs. Fetch opened the door for him; Delsin deposited the luggage in front of his closet door. "So, the bed can probably fit three but we have an air mattress." He said, having in fact immediately bought a bigger bed when he got back. Delsin had grown very tired of sleeping on that small, narrow cot.

 

"No need." Fetch said, looking at the walls. They were practically wallpapered with various drawings and band posters. She looked to Eugene, who nodded in agreement.

 

"Cool," Delsin nodded. "There's some closet space, and I emptied out the bottom two dresser drawers. Now," he rubbed his hands together conspiratorially. "Who wants a tour?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows. Eugene raised his hand. Delsin led them from the room and down the hall. "Here's the bathroom." He opened the door, turning on the lights. "There's Betty's room." He pointed to the door at the end of the hall. Delsin's throat tightened when he came to Reggie's door. He hadn't been in since returning to Salmon Bay. He couldn't stand to face the fact that Reggie wouldn't be at his desk, squeezing that stupid fucking stress ball, or reading one of his books by the window.

 

"Reggie's room," he said quietly as they passed on their way to the staircase. Fetch's hand found his, squeezing it briefly. "We already came through here, but this is the living room." He pointed to the TV stand. "We have lots of movies, and also Netflix. Out through the sliding glass door is the backyard." He led them to a small room behind the staircase. "Laundry room through here." Delsin said before turning on his heel. He went through an archway into the kitchen. "Finally, we have the kitchen. Please make yourselves at home." Delsin said, and before he'd even finished his sentence Fetch was opening the fridge. Well, he did say to make themselves at home.

 

"What's the Wi-Fi password?" Eugene asked, phone in hand. Delsin took his phone, punching in the code for him. He handed it back, pleased when Eugene grinned. He did the same for Fetch while she drank a soda. They took seats at the kitchen table.

 

"It feels like forever since I saw you guys." Delsin said. Fetch nodded, scrolling through an article on her phone. "How's school?"

 

"It's school," Eugene said as he shrugged unhelpfully. "I can't believe you convinced me to get a GED, you hypocrite." He said, poking his shoulder. Delsin batted his hand away, rolling his eyes.

 

"Maybe I'll get one too, for solidarity." He said.

 

"I'll hold you to that." Eugene said. There was a pause as Eugene messed with his phone. "High school isn't actually so bad this time around." Eugene said, eyes glued to his phone. "Then again, it's all online classes so I don't have to deal with people. It's pretty cool."

 

"That's awesome!" He said, leaning over to ruffle Eugene's hair. Eugene took it with a grimace. Delsin laughed, feeling rather proud. Being the smart kid he was before Curdun Cay, Eugene was going in as a junior. Delsin was very impressed to learn Eugene skipped not just one, but two grades. "You don't feel awkward, or anything?"

 

"It's alright." He said, shrugging again. "I mean, it's not ideal but it works. Besides, I would've felt awkward no matter what."

 

"That's our Eugene," Fetch said, affectionately ruffling his hair. He groaned, batting away her hand. Delsin perked up when the door opened, revealing Betty hidden behind bags of groceries piled high in her arms. Delsin rushed to her, getting a few of the bags from her and taking them to the kitchen. He went out to her car and helped her carry in the rest of the groceries; when he got back, Fetch and Eugene were helping Betty put away food. Geez, Delsin thought, she bought a lot of stuff. You'd think she was feeding an army. Then again, knowing Fetch and Eugene, she did the right thing.

 

"Hey guys, this is Betty." Delsin said when he put the last of the bags on the counter. "Betty, these are my friends Fetch and Eugene." He said, motioning to each in turn. Fetch waved, while Eugene gave her a hesitant handshake.

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you two, finally put faces to names." She said, smiling. Fetch shot him a questioning look, which Delsin avoided, hands in his pockets. "He talks about you guys often enough I feel I already know you!"

 

"Is that so?" Fetch asked, smirking. Delsin groaned internally, she was never going to let that one go.

 

"Okay that's enough, save the teasing for later." Delsin said, handing a carton of milk to Eugene. Eugene was trying, in vain, to hide laughter. Delsin glared at him halfheartedly. "I feel ganged up on." He said, pouting.

 

"Aw, poor baby." Fetch said, winking when he stuck his tongue out at her. They finished putting groceries away in a companionable silence. Afterwards, Betty got a call from the fishery. She apologized to Fetch and Eugene for running off so quick, but promised she'd be back in time for dinner. Delsin saw her out the door before joining Fetch and Eugene in the living room. Eugene was sitting in front of the TV, going through their collection of movies and video games. He had an old console that hadn't been touched in years, and Delsin figured Eugene could have it if he wanted it.

 

"Find anything interesting?" He asked, plopping down onto the floor next to him. Eugene shrugged.

 

"I haven't seen a lot of these." He said. Fetch was lying on the couch, messing with her phone.

 

"Well," Delsin said, picking his favorite movie out of the stack. "Have to start somewhere, right?" He handed it to Eugene, who read the back summary contemplatively. "Wait," he said as Eugene popped the disc in the DVD player. "Did you finish your homework?"

 

"Are you my dad?" Eugene said, deadpan. Delsin laughed before nudging his arm. "I did, just by the way."

 

"I'm proud of you." Delsin said, grinning when Eugene groaned in reply. Delsin made his way over to the couch, moving Fetch's legs so he could sit. She grumbled but settled in quickly when he rested her legs on his thighs. Eugene claimed a spot on the other side of Delsin. Delsin pressed play, and barely paid attention the whole time. He felt luckier than anyone, surrounded by his friends. He laid his head back on the couch, eyes flicking to the screen. Eugene was completely enraptured, just as expected. Delsin fought back a laugh, and tried to focus on the movie.

 

Delsin excused himself to the kitchen, citing snack related reasons. He opened a bag of microwave popcorn and put it in the microwave. He turned at the sound of feet on the tile. Fetch came up beside him, glaring at him.

 

"You have horrible taste in movies." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

"Tell that to Eugene, he loves it."

 

"Boys," Fetch said, shaking her head ruefully. "Remind me how I got stuck with you two idiots."

 

"Ouch," Delsin said, putting a hand over his heart. "That hurts." He said. Fetch rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the ribs. She squawked indignantly when he ruffled her hair. Delsin got the popcorn out when it was finished and poured it in a bowl. He started carrying it out to the living room when a hand on his elbow stopped him.

 

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Fetch asked quietly, eyes intense. Delsin inhaled sharply, willing his mind away from Reggie's unopened door at the end of the hall. "It must be hard, being back here." She said, tactfully not mentioning Reggie.

 

"Yeah, but someone's gotta look after Betty now that…" He trailed off, throat suddenly tight. Delsin motioned to the air, shrugging. "Well, I guess I'm just the man for the job."

 

"You said you were coming back, do you remember?"

 

"I know, I just need a little more time. I have to be sure she'll be alright when I'm gone." Delsin said. Fetch sighed, nostrils flaring.

 

"Don't keep me waiting forever." She shot a meaningful glance at the living room. "Teen angel misses you something fierce."

 

"And you?"

 

"Don't be an idiot, of course I do." She let go of his elbow, glaring halfheartedly at him. Delsin shot her a smile before motioning to the living room. Fetch followed him back and they settled back down on the couch in the same position. Fetch only protested vaguely when he put the bowl of popcorn on her legs.

 

It was good to have them around again.

 

***

 

That night found them trying to figure out how to fit in bed. Eventually, Fetch claimed a spot by the wall. Delsin settled in next to her cautiously, moving until there was barely an inch of space between them. He turned on his side and Fetch looked over at him, flicking on the nose. He swatted her hand away. Eugene scooted over before rolling onto his stomach.

 

"Can you turn off the light already?" Fetch asked, putting the pillow over her face. Eugene leaned over the nightstand, turning off the lamp. Delsin pulled his oversized quilt over them, hunkering down for a long night. He closed his eyes, quickly drifting off. He hadn't realized how tired he was until now.

 

"Do you think geese have a sense of morality?" Eugene said suddenly, breaking the silence. Fetch groaned while Delsin chuckled.

 

"Go to sleep." Delsin murmured.

 

Next to Eugene and Fetch, he slept better than he had in months.

 

***

 

**November 21 st, 2018**

"Hey, we have to tell you something." Fetch said after breakfast the next day. Betty left a few minutes ago, leaving them to do the dishes.

 

"Lay it on me."

 

"We've encountered some resistance in Seattle." Fetch said as she handed Delsin another pan to dry.

 

"What kind? Protestors?"

 

"No," Fetch shook her head. "They're wearing modified DUP armor and harassing conduits all over the city. We've caught quite a few of them mimicking old DUP patrol routes."

 

"We drove those guys out in August." Delsin said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, the DUP was disbanded after we took down Augustine."

 

"Maybe these are the last hardcore supporters." Eugene said as he finished wiping off the counter. "Maybe they're a splinter cell of the DUP; we don't know yet."

 

"That's certainly not good." Delsin said, frowning as Fetch shut off the water and dried her hands. She nodded in agreement. "What do we do about it?"

 

"If we take down their leader, surely their operation will come crashing down. The thing is, they're so new we don't have any intel on them." Eugene said.

 

"Perfect," Delsin said. "I don't suppose anyone has ideas on how to get more information." He said, only to be met with silence. Yeah, that was what he thought. "I guess we'll just have to figure it out."

 

There was no rest for the wicked, it seemed.

 

***

 

Delsin found himself restless that night, so he slipped out of bed carefully. Eugene and Fetch didn't stir; even so he shut the door quietly behind him. He avoided the squeaky part of the stairs, making his way to the kitchen. Surprisingly, Betty was sitting at the table with a mug.

 

"Can't sleep?" She asked. Delsin shook his head and she got up, fetching another mug from the cabinet. Betty poured hot water from a kettle on the stove into it and put in a teabag. "Chamomile," she said as she handed the mug to Delsin. He took it gratefully and sat down across from her at the table. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Delsin waited for his tea to cool. "Delsin, I've a question for you." She said. Delsin nodded, motioning for her to go ahead. "How long will you stay here? Do you think me incapable?"

 

"Of course I don't." Delsin protested quickly. "I just, well, Reggie always managed things before. Since he's…" He trailed off, clearing his throat. "The responsibility falls to me, doesn't it?"

 

"I'm not an invalid." Betty said, holding her hand up when Delsin opened his mouth to protest. "You have a life outside of Salmon Bay. Those friends of yours need you more than me." She said. Delsin hummed in reply. "Don't think I can't see the looks you give each other."

 

"What looks?"

 

"Well, it's clear to these old eyes you three absolutely adore each other."

 

"I couldn't have better friends." Delsin said, ignoring Betty when she shot him a knowing look. "So what, you're kicking me out?"

 

"No, you can stay as long as you'd like. I just think you'd be happier in Seattle with them. Like it or not, you have a responsibility to conduits everywhere. You have a responsibility to your friends too." She said, putting her hand over his on the table. Delsin took a drink of his chamomile tea. "I won't have you stay out of duty and come to resent me. I love you as a son, so it's time for me to let go. If that's what will make you happy, then I'm happy too."

 

"I hate it when you're right, you know that?" Delsin said. Betty patted his hand consolingly.

 

"It's my specialty, I'm afraid."

 

Delsin left the table that night wondering how Betty knew him better than he knew himself.

 

***

 

**November 22 nd, 2018**

Delsin woke up with pink hair in his face and an arm slung around his midsection. He scooted away from Fetch looking over his shoulder to see Eugene sleeping peacefully. He learned over the past few nights that Eugene clung to people like a koala, while Fetch kicked in her sleep. Needless to say, Delsin never woke up cuddled with Fetch; Eugene was a different story. He really didn't want to get up, but he also really had to pee. Gently, he peeled Eugene's arm off of him, replacing himself with a pillow for Eugene to hold on to. Though Eugene grumbled in his sleep as Delsin got out of bed, he didn't stir. Fetch was still snoring away on the other side of the bed, blissfully unaware that it was time to wake up.

 

He made his way down the hall and into the bathroom. When he finished, Delsin went ahead and brushed his teeth too. He knew there would be no getting into the bathroom once Fetch woke up; she was infamous for taking long showers. Delsin combed through his hair, suddenly grateful for his habit of taking showers at night. At least that way he didn't have to compete for hot water. Delsin walked back to his room, purposely keeping his eyes away from Reggie's door. How would Reggie have reacted if he saw Delsin getting up early? He probably wouldn't have believed it, called it a fluke. If Delsin were getting up before noon, Reggie would think it a miracle.

 

He tried, mostly in vain, not to cry at the thought. His eyes misted, he cursed himself for wishing Reggie was here. It was his fault Reggie was at the bottom of the harbor; he wasn't strong enough, not fast enough, not good enough to save him. Delsin wondered if he would ever be good enough. Delsin opened his bedroom door and went back to bed. Eugene latched onto him once more, and Delsin let the solid weight of Eugene's arm across his stomach pull him back to the present. Delsin closed his eyes, trying to block out thoughts of failure. Yes, Reggie was dead and it was his fault, but the people next to him were still alive.

 

He had to keep finding something to fight for; that was all there was to it.

 

***

 

Later, after Delsin had coaxed his friends out of bed with breakfast, they were on their way to the longhouse. Delsin promised to take them on a tour of Salmon Bay, and he figured this was a good enough place to start. Ever since Delsin cured the surviving Akomish, the longhouse was slowly converted back to a place of heritage and celebration. The scent of disinfectant lingered, but nobody mentioned it. Delsin led them to the front door, shoving his hands in his pockets to hide his trembling. Everything about Salmon Bay was difficult for Delsin; it all reminded him of Reggie or the Akomish they lost to Augustine's concrete.

 

He opened the door quickly and held it open for Fetch and Eugene. There were no more scattered hospital beds, no x-rays, no suffering patients, yet Delsin fought the urge to run. They'd erected a more permanent memorial in the back of the longhouse, and it never failed to make Delsin feel like an asshole. It was his fault, after all, that they needed a memorial in the first place.

 

"So, this is where we have parties and stuff." Delsin said, though his voice sounded far away. "Kids come here after school too, kind of like the YMCA or whatever I guess." He said, forcing himself to move from the doorway. Delsin hoped this would help him, but he wasn't sure it was working yet.

 

"So eloquent," Eugene teased him. Fetch laughed, nudging Delsin in the ribs. The sensation of her elbow jabbing against his side was enough to bring him back. She gave him a look when he came out of it, a tight scowl directed at him. Delsin wondered if he was that easy to read, or if Fetch simply knew what to look for.

 

"There really aren't a lot of people here now, but you should see it during a party." He said, forcing himself to walk across the longhouse. "There are streamers everywhere, and a snack table over there." Delsin pointed over to a spot in front of the wall on his right. "People are everywhere; some of them are dancing, others hanging out by the food."

 

"You were the latter, right?" Eugene asked. Delsin looked over his shoulder, putting a hand to his chest as if wounded.

 

"I’m hurt that you don't think I'm a fantastic dancer." He said. Fetch rolled her eyes in response. "Honestly, I’m heartbroken." Delsin said. Eugene shook his head, a small smile on his lips. Delsin pouted at him, giving him his best puppy dog eyes.

 

"You'll just have to prove yourself, oh lord of the dance." Fetch said, deadpan. Delsin laughed, but it was forced at best. "There's not much to see here is there? Let's move on." She said, already heading back to the door. Delsin followed, grateful for her intervention. Next, he took them downtown for a little sightseeing. There really wasn't much to see aside from the beach, but he'd do what he could. Delsin avoided the police station like a plague, instead focusing on a cluster of small locally owned stores. They ranged anywhere from antique shops to Akomish themed décor and anywhere in between.

 

"I know," he said as he led them into the antique shop. "Salmon Bay isn't super exciting, but you guys asked for a tour; really, it's your fault we're here." Delsin said as he headed straight for the back. In the back of the store there were old cameras and photos. It was always his favorite thing to look at, and he'd contemplated buying one of the old cameras more than once. He knew they were useless, most of them broken or without film, but they were so cool he didn't care.

 

He was already turning over a 19th century camera over in his hands, eyes fixed on it. Fetch wandered off, looking at old pocketknives. Eugene was close by flipping through books. Delsin put down the camera and went to rifle around in the bin of old photos. They were all so serious, and Delsin wondered if any of them knew how to smile.

 

"I'm bored." Fetch said, and Delsin jumped at the sound of her voice. Geez, he was really getting soft. A few months ago, he would've known someone was there far before they got close enough to speak. Delsin rolled his eyes but didn't move from the bin. "If you're gonna creep on dead people, what am I supposed to do?"

 

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." He said, smirking when she huffed. "Just give me a minute, we'll get out of here soon."

 

"Can we go to the beach?"

 

"If you like, but it'll be cold." He warned her, turning away from the stack of old photos.

 

"Delsin I'm from New Jersey." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

"Congratulations," Delsin said as he walked over to Eugene. "You ready?" He said. Eugene snapped the book shut and put it back on the shelf. Without a word, he followed Delsin and Fetch out of the store and back to the car. It was Reggie's truck; Delsin didn't have one of his own. Every time he got behind the wheel he expected to see Reggie barreling down the street, ordering him to get out of the car. Delsin made him a promise after all, and it was the only one he ever bothered to keep. Still, he figured as he put on his seatbelt, these were exceptional circumstances.

 

Fetch turned on the radio, flipping through stations as Delsin drove them down to the beach. The last time he'd been down to the beach was that day he'd vandalized Reggie's billboard. When he got back to Salmon Bay in September, it was a far call from beach weather. He drove them down the sloping highway, pulling into an empty parking lot. Delsin parked the truck and then got out, taking off his shoes before leading the way down the sand. Fetch and Eugene followed suit, and the three of them walked barefoot across the sand.

 

"It's usually nicer, I promise." Delsin said, motioning to some discarded beer cans. Fetch waved him off as she wandered down the shore, water covering her feet with every wave. Eugene bent down, inspecting seashells. Delsin caught up with Fetch, eyes fixed on the horizon. He used to drag Reggie down to the beach every day on summer vacation; Delsin would swim or mess around on the jetty while Reggie read a book under an oversized umbrella. Everything in Salmon Bay was a reminder of the loss, of his failure. If their places were reversed, Delsin was sure Reggie would've found a way.

 

"You're a bit blue today." Fetch said quietly. Delsin startled out of his thoughts, forcing his gaze away from the horizon and to Fetch's face. "What's up?"

 

"It's just…" He trailed off, sighing. "I don't know. I thought being here would help, that I'd take care of Betty and the tribe, but I was wrong. My place is in Seattle, with you and Eugene." Delsin sad. Fetch didn't say anything, only stared at him. "That is, if you'll have me."

 

"Don't be an idiot." She chided him, elbowing him in the ribs. Delsin pulled a smile, linking his arm through hers before she could protest. "Eugene will probably die from excitement when you tell him you're coming back."

 

"Oh dear," Delsin said. Fetch shook her head, a small grin on her face. "Do you think he'll let me eulogize him at the funeral?"

 

"You're such a dick." Fetch said, rolling her eyes. Delsin laughed in reply, turning them back to head towards Eugene; he had a small collection of seashells in one hand, and he was walking towards them.

 

This was where he wanted to be, he decided, with his two best friends in the world.

 

***

 

**November 24 th, 2018**

Thanksgiving was a production, to say the least. Betty corralled them all into the kitchen, and Fetch dropped a bag of flour within the first five minutes. At that point, she was put onto stirring duty, a task she took very seriously. Delsin was wearing his customary kiss the cook apron, which had Fetch in stitches the moment she saw it. Eugene was currently putting together cranberry sauce, consulting a print out recipe every few moments. Betty was stuffing the turkey, and Delsin was mixing up pumpkin pie filling. In a moment, he spooned it into a premade piecrust and stuck it in the oven. He moved on to peeling sweet potatoes.

 

"I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving since Curdun Cay." Eugene admitted quietly. Delsin blinked in surprise, hitting himself mentally that he hadn't realized that himself. God, what an idiot he was, did they even want to celebrate it? He tensed, knuckles going white around the potato peeler. Fuck, he should've been more considerate; he was just so excited to have them there for a holiday. "It's nice." Eugene said. Fetch nodded in agreement. Delsin let out a sigh of relief, thankful that his misstep was neatly avoided.

 

"What's your favorite food?" Betty asked, in a valiant effort to steer the conversation clear of Curdun Cay.

 

"Cranberry sauce," Eugene said as he stirred sugar into the sauce he was working on.

 

"Definitely the stuffing," Fetch said as she gave the gravy a hard stir.

 

"You guys are crazy, it's gotta be the turkey." Delsin protested as he placed sliced sweet potatoes in a pot. Fetch leaned over to flick his temple. Delsin swatted her hand away, cursing when he almost dropped a sweet potato in the process. "I'm serious, out of everything you guys ignored the main course. I'm seriously tempted to disown both of you."

 

"You like us too much." Fetch said. "That's your weakness, one I'm more than willing to exploit."

 

"As far as weaknesses go, it's not a bad one to have." Delsin pointed out as he covered the sweet potatoes with water. He made room for them on the stove next to the gravy.

 

"Maybe," Fetch conceded. Delsin wiped his hands on his apron before opening the oven door for Betty. With Eugene covering the cranberry sauce with plastic wrap and sticking it in the fridge, most everything was ready to bake or simmer for a few hours. Delsin checked the clock, astounded to see it was already early in the afternoon. They'd been busy since early morning.

 

"Thanks for the help." Betty said as she hung her apron on the pantry door. The rest of them followed suit before heading out to the living room. Delsin didn't realize how much his feet hurt until his butt hit the couch. He groaned, but was quickly cut off when Fetch swung her legs up on his lap. He glared at her halfheartedly, but she wasn't moved by the gesture. Eugene settled on his right side, putting his head on Delsin's shoulder. Delsin flipped through channels until he finally settled on a nature documentary about penguins. He leaned his head back against the couch cushion, and didn't even notice when his eyes closed soon after.

 

Slowly, he let the narrator's voice soothe him to sleep.

 

***

 

"Poke me one more time and I'm never leaving this couch." Delsin mumbled when someone poked his cheek yet again. The offending finger was removed and instead someone was tugging on his arm. Delsin opened his eyes, shooting a glare at Eugene. "I thought we were friends."

 

"Sometimes friends push, especially when there's dinner on the line." Eugene said solemnly. Delsin shot up at the mention of dinner. Eugene followed him, chuckling, to the kitchen. They filled their plates and sat at the table together. Betty asked them what they were thankful for. Eugene smirked at Delsin before saying cranberry sauce. Fetch blushed and said friends, much to Delsin's surprise and amusement. Betty said something lovely about family. Delsin stared down Eugene and said simply: turkey. Fetch groaned but Delsin dug in without paying attention to her obvious disappointment.

 

"You guys are idiots, this is supposed to be serious." She protested, pointing her fork accusingly at Eugene and Delsin in turn.

 

"I'm not the one who spilled her guts." Delsin said before taking another bite. Fetch stabbed into the stuffing viciously, shooting Delsin a dirty look. "It was beautiful though, you actually sound pretty normal at times like these." He said, ducking when Fetch lobbed a bread roll across the table.

 

"This isn't over." Fetch said before going back to eating. Delsin opened his mouth to reply when Betty jabbed his ribs with her elbow. Delsin glared at her but shut his mouth anyways. Eugene was fascinated by the sweet potatoes, and Delsin wanted to cry. Their first Thanksgiving together, Fetch and Eugene's first Thanksgiving since Curdun Cay. He wished he'd thought to take pictures; maybe he should take up scrapbooking. Fetch's chosen piece of turkey fell off the fork, and he wish he had a camera to save the stupefied look on her face.

 

It was, Delsin thought, pretty much picture perfect.

 

***

 

**November 27 th, 2018**

They arrived to a marina just across the bay from Seattle early in the morning. Betty saw them off with a teary smile and got a promise from Delsin to call every week. An old man with a grey beard took them across the bay in a small motorboat. When they got off, Eugene was a bit green and incredibly grateful to be back on dry land. Delsin had to admit he was a bit apprehensive about water too after… Delsin pushed the thought from his mind and concentrated on Seattle.

 

There was, as always, a crowd of people milling about the streets. It wasn't raining at the moment, but people had umbrellas just in case. Fetch and Eugene were leading him to a small apartment they rented in the lantern district. Apparently working with the government to reintegrate conduits had its rewards. Fetch didn't say much about it, but her main area was with former (and sometimes current) addicts. Eugene ran an online chat group that mostly attracted teenagers. Delsin was meeting with Macy Greene, the director of the Conduit Assimilation Project (lovingly known as CAP), tomorrow morning. What he was going to do, well he honestly had no idea.

 

Eventually they came to a rather small apartment building with only three floors. They trekked up to the last floor and Fetch fished keys out of her pocket to open up the first door on the left. It opened into a small carpeted living room with only one couch and a TV sitting on the box it came in. Immediately to the left was a kitchen. There was an archway next to the kitchen, and Delsin could see a washer and dryer for clothes. Next to that was another door. Fetch gave a grandiose sweep as they walked in.

 

"It's not much, but this is home." She said. Delsin set down his suitcase on the couch and looked around. There was a small round table to the right of the kitchen with four chairs. In front of that was a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. "Do you want a tour?"

 

"Of course." Delsin said. Fetch flashed him a grin and walked to the door by the kitchen. She opened it and he followed her into what seemed to be the master bedroom. There was a queen-sized bed in the middle with one table and a lamp. The lamp didn't have a shade on it. There was a wide archway that went to the master bathroom and a closet was beyond that. "This is my room, obviously."

 

"Obviously," Delsin said. The three of them walked back out into the living room and to the other side of the apartment. There were three doors. Eugene opened the door closest to the balcony and led them inside. There was a twin bed pushed against the wall underneath the window; on another wall was a massive desk with an even bigger computer. Other than that the room was bare, and Delsin was starting to sense a recurring theme. Eugene led him to a door on the right wall, which opened to a long bathroom. At the other side, it opened into the third bedroom. They'd furnished it with a full-sized bed and an easel.

 

"So, that's about it actually." Eugene said, scratching the back of his head. Delsin nodded, walking around the perimeter of his new room. "What do you think?"

 

"Guys," he sighed. "I won't lie, this is probably the saddest apartment I've ever been in."

 

"Ass," Fetch said before flicking his ear.

 

"Seriously, no decoration anywhere. All you guys have is the bare minimum amount of furniture, the TV is sitting is on the box it came in, I don't even want to see inside the pantry right now, do you guys even own a saucepan?" He said, listing things off on his fingers. Fetch and Eugene looked between each other nervously. Finally, Fetch shrugged. "Unbelievable, we're going to IKEA."

 

Going by Fetch and Eugene's horrified looks, Delsin should've been less surprised that furniture shopping would be like pulling teeth with them.

 

***

 

IKEA was a maze, just as Delsin expected. He picked up a map by the entrance and slowly led them through, carefully scrutinizing every section for ideas. With the often inadequate assistance of Fetch and Eugene, Delsin made a list of all the furniture and groceries they needed. He had Eugene writing down aisle numbers to find the furniture they selected on a post it note, as he had the (surprisingly) best handwriting of the three. He was trying out different couches while Fetch was wandering through the small mini room layouts. Eugene was halfheartedly inspecting TV stands.

 

"What about this one? Come sit," Delsin beckoned to Eugene, patting the spot beside him. Eugene looked grateful to be distracted from his previous duty and sat beside Delsin. He leaned back into the cushion, nodding appreciatively. After a moment, Eugene gave Delsin a thumbs up. "Hey Fetch!" He cupped his hands over his mouth, and Fetch turned towards the sound. When Delsin waved, she made her way through the rooms and plopped onto the couch. "What do you think?"

 

"It's certainly a couch." She said blandly, raising an eyebrow at the question. Delsin threw his hands in the air, wondering just what the hell he was going to do with them. "I'd be fine with it in our apartment, if that's what you're asking."

 

"Thank you, that's exactly what I was asking." Delsin said, shaking his head as he got up. "Eugene, write down the number." He said, pointing to the laminated tag hanging from one arm of the charcoal colored couch. Delsin was going for neutral toned furniture; he figured they could put color in the decorations. That way, if they ever wanted to change things up they'd only have to buy new decorations. So far Delsin had picked out a couch, a bookcase, a few rugs, and was well on his way to choosing a TV stand. They settled on the one Eugene picked that had two cabinet doors and was made of dark wood. It would go perfectly with the floors, and Eugene perked up a little when Delsin told him so.

 

"We've been here almost half an hour and we're not halfway through your dumb list." Fetch complained as they walked through the kitchen section. Delsin rolled his eyes while picking out hand towels.

 

"The process would go faster if you helped me pick shit out." Delsin said. Fetch stopped at that, regarding him suspiciously.

 

"Will you take my suggestions seriously?"

 

"Only if you take your side of things seriously too." Delsin said, holding up a navy blue towel and sky blue towel up side by side. "Which one?" He asked. Fetch looked between the two towels, biting her lip as she contemplated. A minute later, she pointed to the navy blue one. "That wasn't so hard was it?" Delsin said as he put the towels into their cart. Fetch rolled her eyes but actually started to help. Eugene was often the tiebreaker in their conflicts. Sooner than Delsin expected, they were in the lighting section.

 

"Why does my lamp need a shade? I can see better with just the bulb." Fetch said as Delsin held up various options.

 

"What are we, barbarians? Every lamp needs a shade." Delsin said. Fetch scoffed in reply, but Delsin stubbornly handed her a shade. Eventually, she picked one out begrudgingly and they were ready to move on. The art was the hardest thing to settle on, as Eugene wanted bright pop art while Fetch was drawn to abstract paintings. Delsin, on the other hand, was a big fan of the photography section.

 

"It's literally just a red line across a canvas!" Eugene protested when Fetch pointed to a small painting. "We're not going to be pretentious hipsters about this."

 

"We live in Seattle, Eugene." Fetch said, deadpan. Delsin laughed, while Eugene begrudgingly conceded the point. After about a solid fifteen minutes of debate that ended in Fetch almost hurling a frame at Delsin, they settled on a few watercolor landscapes and nature photographs. Finally, they got to the section at the end of the store with all the boxes they need. It took three carts total to get all the furniture out to the car. None of them owned it, but CAP loaned it to them for official business. Delsin figured decorating the apartment was as good an appropriation of their SUV as ever. Delsin, it turned out, was the only one among them with a license.

 

"This is going to take more than one trip." Eugene said, motioning to the cart. It was still about half full, Delsin realized after a moment, and there was no way they'd fit anything else in the trunk. They'd folded the seats down in their SUV, which left only a passenger seat up front. "I'll wait with the furniture, just be quick." He offered. Delsin clapped him on the back, leaving him on the street corner as they made their way back to the apartment. Fetch and Delsin maneuvered the furniture up the stairs as quickly as they could; Delsin may have sped a bit on the way back to IKEA, yet the cops didn't bother stopping him. Maybe they had better things to do than hand out speeding tickets.

 

His mind wandered to their new problem, the impostor DUP hanging out around the city. Maybe that's what the cops were so busy with. He wondered if Macy Greene had any idea who was behind it. Delsin pulled the SUV in front of Eugene, who was playing a game on his phone. With all three of them working together, loading the car was easy; there was even room for Eugene to sit in the back seat. Delsin drove them back to the apartment, happy to obey the speed limit this time. Once all the furniture was inside, they set about on the arduous task of assembling it.

 

Fifteen minutes into assembling the TV stand, Fetch had already given up and brought them snacks while she read directions off for them. It took the rest of the morning, but they got all the furniture assembled and placed. It looked a lot more like somewhere Delsin would want to live, and even Fetch grudgingly admitted it looked a whole hell of a lot nicer. That left them to go grocery shopping, which was a blessed reprieve from furniture instructions in Swedish and often confusing English. By the end of the day, everyone was exhausted. Boxes were taken out to the recycling, groceries were put away, and frozen lasagna was baking in the oven.

 

"Let's never do that again." Fetch said when she plopped down onto the couch next to Delsin.

 

"We kind of have to go grocery shopping, Fetch." Delsin said, laughing when Fetch elbowed his ribs. "I do have to agree on IKEA, however."

 

"That place was a maze." Eugene said from the kitchen while he assembled a prepackaged salad. "I can't believe it had a cafeteria."

 

"IKEA has everything, it's like Costco but more Swedish." Delsin said, flipping through channels on the TV.

 

"Still think we made a good call on those Swedish meatballs." Fetch said, her face scrunching up in disgust. "I'm never eating food from a furniture store."

 

"Agreed," Delsin and Eugene said simultaneously.

 

Their first meal together in the apartment was by candlelight, and if Delsin was a bit sappy nobody could really blame him.

 

***

 

**November 28 th, 2018**

Delsin's appointment with Macy Greene was at ten in the morning. Naturally, Delsin was awake by nine thirty and didn't leave until ten minutes to ten. He drove like a bat out of hell and got there less than five minutes late, which was truly a feat. Delsin wondered if Macy Greene put them in an apartment less than fifteen minutes away as a security measure. Keep your friends close, he thought as he rode the elevator to the director's office on the top floor. Delsin knocked on her door a few times before a muffled voice beckoned him to come in. He came in, and was face-to-face with a seemingly middle aged woman with a kind smile.

 

A placard with the name 'Macy Greene' sat on the desk. She had braids pinned up in an elegant up do, and the red formal top she wore accentuated dark brown eyes matching her skin. She stood up, smoothing wrinkles from her pencil skirt before extending a hand to Delsin. In a few long strides, Delsin crossed the room to her. She had a firm grip, and Delsin was unsurprised.

 

"I'm Macy Greene, director of the Conduit Assimilation Project. You can call me Macy." She greeted him with a smile.

 

"Delsin Rowe, friendly local conduit." Delsin said with a charming smile plastered across his face. She let go of his hand and sat, motioning for him to do the same.

 

"As you are well aware, your friends are already engaged in assignments to help conduits readjust to civilian life. Have they told you about their projects?"

 

"Only the bare minimum, but I know they're both damn proud of their work." Delsin said with a nod, "ma'am." He added, almost as an after thought. "Do you have something in mind for me?"

 

"My staff and I contemplated several options while you were taking care of personal business." Macy said, pulling out three manila folders from her desk drawer. Delsin shouldn't have been surprised, but the amount of effort she'd already put into him was unprecedented. "The first one," she said as she opened the first folder. "Is an outreach program with troubled youth. Are you familiar with the PALS program employed at many high schools?"

 

"Yes, though I never participated." Delsin said. She gave him an appraising look, and Delsin squirmed under her gaze. He felt like a bug under a microscope.

 

"It would be similar to that, there are many children discovering they are conduits everyday. This program would give them a role model, and would enable you to work with regular children as well to foster understanding from a young age." Macy said. Her speech was clearly rehearsed, making Delsin wonder if he was truly worth all this effort. Delsin picked up the manila folder, skimming through the proposal and projected statistics. Without waiting for him, Macy moved on to the second option. "Our second proposal is working with local and national media channels to improve the perception of conduits. These would range from interviews to PSAs, even appearances on children's TV shows." She said. Delsin put down the first folder and picked up the second, unable to hide the grimace on his face. "You find the second option distasteful?" Macy asked, her face deceptively calm.

 

"It's a good idea," Delsin said quickly. "It's just, I don't know if I want to be more in the spotlight than I already am. After that little appearance when we defeated Augustine, I've been hounded for comments and interviews."

 

"You have a duty to conduits, and part of that duty is being a public face." Macy said, her voice a careful monotone. "I am the official leader of CAP, and though I am respected, I am not a conduit. In the end, your voice carries more weight than mine."

 

"You're not a conduit?" Delsin asked, slack jawed. That was a surprise, certainly.

 

"Your next question is predictable, and a common one." Macy said, shaking her head. "Why would I head up this department if I were not a conduit myself?" She said. Delsin nodded. "My father was a conduit, he discovered it shortly after the events of Empire City. My mother tried to keep it on the hush, but he was found out. It's funny, you know," she said, a bitter expression flashing across her face for only a second. "He could work with metal, and saved the neighbor's boy when a garbage truck blindsided his car. They still turned him in, but he never got to a government cell." Macy looked up, meeting his eye stubbornly. "That's why I'm here, to prevent a generation of children growing up without a father."

 

"That's an admirable goal." Delsin said, nodding. "It's good to have allies."

 

"Indeed," she said. They sat in silence for a moment before Macy continued her story. "In the beginning they had trials for conduits, did you know that? A military tribunal to judge their innocence."

 

"No, I had no idea." Delsin said, brow furrowing at the revelation.

 

"That's unsurprising, as it was all on the down low." Macy said, shifting in her chair. "None of them were found innocent, do you know why?" She asked. Delsin had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, but shook his head all the same. "Often, they hadn't committed any crimes; if they had it was no more serious than a parking ticket. They were all found guilty because their crime was existing."

 

"I understand," Delsin nodded. "I think any conduit understands."

 

"It is something I wish to work past. That's why your role cannot be understated. If you don't choose the second option, please consider being involved in the media anyways." Macy said, meeting his eye once more.

 

"I'll consider it."

 

"Good," a small grin lit her face up once more. "Now, on to the next option." She said, steering the conversation back to safer topics. "This one is all about art. I understand you are a notorious street artist." Macy said. Delsin smirked in reply, wondering who gave her that idea. "Are you aware of an approach in psychotherapy involving art? The inmates in Curdun Cay weren't permitted recreational activities. I believe offering them a chance to test their skills could be beneficial. You would teach weekly classes, and perhaps give some of them an outlet."

 

"An interesting idea." Delsin said, reading through the last proposal. He had to admit that he liked both the first and third options best. "Do I have to give you an answer right now?"

 

"No, please take the proposals to read thoroughly. I would like an answer within a few days, if that is acceptable." Macy said, smiling when Delsin nodded. "Any questions?"

 

"I'm pretty sure you answered all mine." Delsin said. Macy stood up, offering her hand to Delsin once more. He stood, accepting her firm handshake. "It was good meeting you."

 

"You as well," She said. "I trust you can find your way out?"

 

"I'm pretty sure I've got it." Delsin said as he turned around. With that, he made his way to the elevator and out of the building. There was no kidding himself; Macy was someone he never wanted to cross. He was sure she could kick his ass even without powers, and if anyone could deal with the backlash CAP created with its founding, it was surely her. He got back in the SUV and placed the folders on the passenger seat. Delsin drove back to the apartment, slower this time. It was fifteen after eleven when he got back, and Fetch was only just taking a shower. Delsin could hear the water switch on when he kicked off his shoes in the tile entryway.

 

"I'm making eggos!" Eugene called from the kitchen. Delsin put the folders on the bar as he came into the apartment. "Do you want some?"

 

"You know I do." Delsin said, pulling out a stool to sit on. Eugene checked on bacon in the microwave, and added more frozen waffles to the toaster. Before long, he was pushing a plate towards Delsin. Eugene took the seat next to him at the bar, drowning his waffles in syrup. Delsin took a more conservative approach with his own waffles. God, Eugene almost had as big a sweet tooth as Fetch.

 

"How did the meeting go?"

 

"It was interesting, Macy is intimidating. I like her options, it was clear she did some research on me." Delsin said, still discomfited by the idea. Eugene nodded.

 

"How many options did she give you?" He said, eyes flickering to the stack of folders.

 

"Three, and I like two of them." Delsin said as he cut his waffles into neat squares.

 

"She gave me one, and told me essentially she had no idea what to do with me." Eugene said, chuckling at the memory. "What was it she said? It was something like: given your anxiety and distaste for people, finding a project for you has been harder than anticipated." He said, attempting a high-pitched impression of Macy. "The chat room is great, though."

 

"That woman is certainly prepared." Delsin said before shoving an entire piece of bacon into his mouth. Eugene nodded in agreement.

 

It was good to be back, he decided. With someone like Macy championing their cause, he didn't see how they could go wrong.

 

***

 

**December 2 nd, 2018**

They found themselves on the north side of Seattle, trying to rid districts of DUP forces once again. Delsin had to admit it was getting rather old. Of course, these weren't officially sanctioned DUP, yet they still wore the uniform and paraded around as if they were in the heyday of DUP control. According to Macy, local police were involved in keeping the peace, but there were too few police to truly drive them out. Thus, the burden fell to Delsin, Fetch, and Eugene. Some of the fake DUP bastards had concrete power. It was a clear indicator that not all DUP soldiers were as neatly imprisoned as the government led them to believe

 

Delsin smoked down from a roof, pounding his chain down in the middle of a group. A cloud of smoke and embers enveloped them, and the fake soldiers engaged him with a shout. Delsin cussed when his feet slid on the ice, and he barely able to dodge a shot in time. He subdued those he could, leaving one left to question. He purposely left a concrete soldier as the last one, and smoked right in front of him. Delsin found purchase in a ridge of the soldier's armor, and threw him to the ground. His gun went skittering across the ice, and Delsin pinned his arms down with smoke to prevent him using concrete.

 

"I have questions," he said, still breathing heavily. "If you answer them, I can let you go."

 

"Fuck you, Rowe." He spat, glaring at Delsin.

 

"So you know me. Tell me, how many more DUP soldiers are running around causing havoc?" He asked, putting his knee in the middle of the soldier's chest. When the man didn't answer, Delsin moved his knee to the man's throat, holding it above him threateningly. Still, he remained unmoved. Delsin put a gentle pressure on the soldier's neck, not intending to kill him. Really, he just needed to scare the soldier. The man coughed, gasping for breath, so Delsin pushed harder. When his face started turning a bit blue, Delsin released the pressure and moved his knee back to the soldier's chest. "Feel like talking now?"

 

"You didn't catch all of us, and we'll still carry out Augustine's mission." He said, voice raspy.

 

"Which is?" Delsin said, excited to finally get a lead. At this, the soldier shut his mouth. Delsin groaned in frustration.

 

"Conduits aren't safe out here. How long do you think your project will last before it all goes to hell?" The man taunted with a sneer. "I used to be naïve like you, I know better now. Augustine knows better, and we'll get her back."

 

"You intend to free her?" Delsin asked, sending a sly smile the soldier's way. He clammed up in response, face red. The soldier had a big mouth, but that wasn't Delsin's problem. Sensing he wasn't going to get anything else out of him, Delsin subdued him with more smoke and then got up. He carefully walked across the ice as he texted his GPS location to Macy; she'd have someone come to cart them off. After that was done, he dialed her number. When she picked up, he started without waiting for a greeting. "You're not gonna believe what the fakers are up to."

 

"Meet me at my office ASAP." She said. Delsin hung up and pocketed his phone, zipping up his hoodie for good measure. It was still damn cold, even though Delsin ran hotter these days. All a side effect of being a conduit, not that he was complaining.

 

This was their first real lead, and Delsin would be damned if he wasted it.

 

***

 

**December 4 th, 2018**

"Hey," Fetch said as she walked out of her room. "Walk with me? I've got something to show you." She said, nervously fiddling with the buttons on her coat. Delsin nodded, grabbing his jacket and slipping on a pair of shoes before following her.

 

"Where are you taking me?" He asked when she led him through a twisting series of alleys and cramped side streets.

 

"You'll see." Fetch said, sparing him a glance over her shoulder.

 

"Well that's pretty cryptic." Delsin said, rolling his eyes. Fetch said nothing in return, and continued to lead him. Finally, they got to a boarded up passageway. The sign proclaimed it to be a crime scene. Delsin raised a brow at Fetch, but she wasn't saying anything. She turned to neon to get through the barricade, and Delsin followed. She led him inside silently, stopping in front of him before they turned a corner.

 

"This is really personal, so don't tell anyone." Fetch said.

 

"I won't." He said. Without further ado, Fetch turned the corner with Delsin following behind. Delsin's eyes went wide as he took in the room. It was a tiled tunnel, as if it had been part of a subway system at some point. There was a massive hole in the far wall that was caved in, as if someone had punched it really hard. How someone's fist could make an impact that big, Delsin wasn't sure. In front of the hole was a table with flickering candles spread out atop it.

 

Delsin made his way to the table, only to find pictures of Fetch and a man with a blue Mohawk featured heavily in them. Was that Brent? He turned to the left; there was a small table with two chairs. A man who looked like the one in the pictures was painted in neon to look like he was sitting in the chair. Fetch had already taken the other seat and was looking down at her hands clasped together in her lap.

 

"What is this?" Delsin asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper. Fetch sighed, chipping nail polish off her fingers. She met his gaze after a few minutes of silence, her eyes glassy. "Fetch?"

 

"This is where I," she paused, as if she couldn't quite force herself to finish. "You see that hole in the wall?" Fetch asked, gesturing to the caved in tiles. "I made that when Brent died." She said, and then shook her head at the admission. "No, that's not…" Fetch cleared her throat.

 

"You don't have to do this." Delsin said, resisting the urge to run and comfort her. He knew she'd kick his ass if he did.

 

"No, I want to talk about it." Fetch insisted. Delsin nodded, signaling her to go on. "It was an accident, what happened with Brent. They drugged me; I was hallucinating. I thought he was going to hurt me, turn me in." She paused, wiping at her eyes with one hand. "I punched his chest with neon and knocked him into the wall. It stopped his heart." Fetch said, shaking her head at the memory.

 

"It wasn't your fault." Delsin said after a moment. Fetch's head snapped up to look him right in the eye. Her lip was wobbling, eyes filling with unshed tears. Then, all of a sudden, she laughed. It was a harsh sound, at odds with the expression on her face, and was over as abruptly as it started.

 

"It's funny, that was the last thing Brent said to me." She said, voice rough and raw and tired. Delsin didn't resist the urge to comfort her any longer; he crossed the room quickly and fell to his knees in front of her. Delsin looked at her questioningly as he held up his palms. She nodded in reply, so Delsin laid his hands palm up on her knees. Fetch put her hands in his hesitantly. He squeezed her hands tightly. "If I hadn't fallen into Shane's trap so stupidly he'd still be here."

  
"He drugged you to trick you into killing Brent. I don't know much about him, but that's pretty evil. There's nobody to blame but him." Delsin said stubbornly. "I'm sorry it happened to you, I can't imagine…" He trailed off before realizing that no, he knew very well what this was like. "No, that's not quite true." Delsin said. Fetch looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face.

 

"Del?" Fetch whispered after a moment. Delsin sighed. He wasn't ready for this, how could he ever be?

 

"Everyday I think about what I could've done differently with Hank. Reggie told me not to trust him, yet I didn't listen. If I hadn't trusted Hank and fallen into Augustine's trap, Reggie would still be here." Delsin said. Fetch stared back at him, sudden understanding crossing her face. Delsin looked down at their entwined hands, biting his lip to keep from crying. "It was my fault so many Akomish died, and it was my fault that Reggie died."

 

"It's Augustine's fault." Fetch said, removing her left hand from his to grab his chin. She forcefully tilted his chin up so he would face her. "She's the one who used concrete on the Akomish, she's the one who set you up." Fetch was still crying. Delsin couldn't hold it back anymore, and didn't bother wiping his eyes when the tears finally started falling. "It was an accident."

 

"Yours too. You can't blame yourself for what Shane did."

 

"Then you can't blame yourself for Augustine." Fetch countered. Her hand was still on Delsin's chin, but she moved it over to cup his jaw. "God, we're pathetic." Fetch said, wiping away his tears. Delsin managed a weak, watery laugh.

 

"We'll be okay." He said, not sure whom he was trying to reassure. "Thanks for telling me."

 

"Yeah, next time I wanna spill my guts I know who to call." Fetch said, giving him a small smile. Delsin rolled his eyes, untangling his hand from hers. Unthinkingly, he wiped the tears from her cheeks carefully. Fetch froze under his touch but didn't pull away. Delsin cursed himself as he removed his hands from her face; he folded them in his lap instead. "It's okay." She said, nodding. "I trust you."

 

"Okay," Delsin said. "Let me know if I cross a line." He added, not wanting to give the impression that he was just going to do whatever he liked after she said that. Fetch bit her lip and nodded again. Something surged in Delsin's chest, his heart fluttered when she met his eyes once more. He willed his cheeks to stop blushing when he noticed her hand was still resting on his jaw. A moment later, Fetch withdrew. "Can we leave now?"

 

"Yeah, let's get out of here." She said. Delsin got up and turned, waiting for her to stand before making his way out of the subway tunnel. They walked side by side in silence, phasing back out in neon and smoke respectively when they came to the barricade. A few minutes later, Fetch's phone beeped. "Shit, I've gotta go."

 

"What's up?"

 

"Nothing big, just support group stuff I forgot about. I'll see you tonight!" Fetch tossed the last words over her shoulder as she ran across the street. Delsin waved at her, not certain she saw it. Fetch was, as always, a whirlwind. Delsin thought back to the tunnel, Brent's shrine, and couldn't quite rationalize his reaction to Fetch's proximity. She was his friend, so of course he cared for her. If they made each other feel better by bonding mutually shitty situations, well, that was just part of being friends.

 

At least, that's what he told himself.

 

***

 

**December 5 th, 2018**

"Betty, we have a problem." Delsin said immediately when she picked up the phone. It was early in the morning; Delsin tossed and turned all night thinking of what happened. He was glad Fetch was there to talk to, to understand why he felt so guilty. On the other hand, his brain was going very strange places these days.

 

"Well hello to you too." Betty said, chuckling.

 

"I didn't wake you up, did I?" He glanced over at the clock; it was just after eight in the morning.

 

"No, I'm always an early riser." She assured him. Delsin nodded even though she couldn’t see him. "What's going on?"

 

"It's complicated." He said, running a hand through his hair. "It's about Fetch."

 

"Did you two have a fight?"

 

"No!" He protested immediately, realizing too late he was being way too loud this early in the morning. "No," Delsin said, quietly that time. "We actually had a really nice heart to heart, but I think I might like her?" He said. Betty said nothing in reply. "As more than a friend."

 

"That's your problem?"

 

"It's a pretty big problem." Delsin said. Betty laughed in reply; Delsin sighed, rolling his eyes at her. "She's one of my best friends."

 

"You have a crush." She said, sounding overly smug.

 

"I don't have a crush." Delsin insisted. Betty laughed again, and Delsin scowled. "I just want to hold her hand and kiss her stupid face sometimes. Maybe take her to that art gallery she's been wanting to see and, oh my god." He stopped himself midsentence, realization sweeping over him like a tidal wave.

 

"Yeah, I thought you'd figure it out eventually." Betty said. Delsin stared at the wall completely slack jawed. "Delsin?"

 

"I'm here, just a bit surprised."

 

"Surprised? Seriously?" She asked, completely incredulous. Delsin groaned in response, rubbing his eyes with one hand. With it off his chest, he suddenly realized how tired he was. "I can't believe I figured it out before you."

 

"You always know things." Delsin said accusingly. "Like where the remote is, or what to say when the conversation is awkward." He said. Betty laughed, and Delsin couldn't help himself from chuckling. "What do I do now?"

 

"Tell her how you feel, I'm sure she's oblivious like you. Be direct, women don't like it when men play games."

 

"Yeah? That sounds fake." He said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Betty sighed on the other end of the line.

 

"You know her better than me." Betty said. Delsin hummed in reply, nodding slightly. "Just make sure you tell her, pining and bottling up feelings is no good for anyone."

 

"You're right, I hate it when you're right." Delsin said. Betty said nothing in reply, but Delsin could picture her rolling her eyes at his antics. "I'm tired."

 

"Go back to sleep then, I won't keep you." She said softly. Delsin could almost see her eyes crinkled at the corners, grinning from ear to ear. How long had Betty wanted him to find someone? _You're always alone, Delsin._ She said to him once. _A lonely heart is no good for my boy._

 

"Okay," he said as he lay down on top of the blankets. "Thanks for the advice."

 

"Thanks for calling. Good luck with Fetch." Betty said. Delsin smiled. "Love you, kid."

 

"Love you too, Betty." He said before ending the call. It was the closest thing she'd get for a goodbye, and she'd accepted it by now. Delsin pulled the blankets over him and closed his eyes. Why did Betty always know how to fix his problems? The prospect of confessing to Fetch was terrifying; he wondered how he could ever gather his courage to do it. Delsin thought of her snorting laughter when he made a bad joke, her neon art splashed haphazardly across brick walls, her incredible sweet tooth, and realized she was out of his league.

 

Fetch was a girl he wanted more than a one-night stand with, and that thought scared him more than anything.

 

***

 

**December 7 th, 2018**

Delsin had to admit, Macy knew what she was talking about when she gave him options. He picked the one where he got to mentor kids in school; the irony of the situation didn't escape him. He told Macy he never graduated high school, to which she simply smiled and said she already knew. Well, he had to admit she was well connected. It was this series of events that led him to helping a third grader with an art project. He was currently showing April how to glaze her mug.

 

"No, like this." He said, demonstrating how to use a brush without ruining the bristles. She watched carefully before imitating him. Delsin liked her, as she was a quick study. "That's good."

 

"Thanks," she said as she stared at the mug with a fierce concentration. Later that day, he was slated to help second graders with reading. Delsin wondered when Macy would send him to a high school, and how inadequate he would prove. He didn't know anything about physics homework or algebra, so he hoped Macy would have mercy on him. Delsin got up, going to another table to help another kid. His name was Alex, and he liked sports more than art.

 

"Hey, how's it going?" Delsin said as he sat down. Alex only shrugged as he twiddled a brush between his fingers. "Any idea what color you want it to be?"

 

"It's for my mom." Alex said. Delsin nodded, waiting for him to elaborate. "She likes blue."

 

"So, that's a good place to start." Delsin said, motioning to the bottles of glaze on the table. He grabbed a bottle of a deep blue glaze and handed it to Alex. "What about this one?" He said. Alex opened the bottle and poured some out onto a plastic palette. He nodded approvingly before dipping his brush on it and started painting.

 

"So you're a magic guy, right?" Alex asked. Delsin blinked once before cracking a smile. Well, that was one way to put it.

 

"I'm a conduit, yes." He said. Alex said nothing, only looked at Delsin curiously. Cautiously, Delsin held up a hand and sparked a small ember on his fingers. Alex looked a mix between shocked and delighted. Delsin snuffed the ember out quickly.

 

"That was cool!" Alex said. Delsin only chuckled in response. Alex went back to glazing his mug soon after. Delsin was still amazed that the kids didn't seem to fear him, well, most of the time. Changes were coming, and they were for the better.

 

He hoped he was making Reggie proud.

 

***

 

**December 10 th, 2018**

"Hey, smokes," Fetch said as she came to a stop behind him on the roof. They were getting ready to clear another district while Eugene was doing class work. Delsin paused, looking behind him to face her. "You ready for this?"

 

"Please," he rolled his eyes at her. "I was born ready." He said. Fetch flicked his nose before turning to neon and jumping down from the roof. After annoying them thoroughly all afternoon, all the impostor DUP were gathered and ready to defend their territory. Fetch dropped down in the middle of the group, punching the ground with her fist; a massive wave of neon emanated out in a wave, sweeping the soldiers off their feet. Delsin followed her a moment later, lashing out with his chain at stragglers.

 

Fetch shot up, jumping into the air in a bubble of neon. She used her momentum to leap forward onto a soldier, knocking him onto the ground. As Delsin punched a soldier in the face, Fetch was thrown back onto the ground. The soldier she'd pounced on got up, stalking towards her. Delsin's heart pounded in his chest as he shot a ball of smoke into the crowd sending them into a coughing fit. He had to look away form Fetch to subdue the three soldiers, but he froze when he heard her cry of pain. A shot went off, and he turned, whirling on Fetch's attacker. She was clutching at a wound in her side, blood dripping from her fingers.

 

"Fetch!" Delsin yelled before turning to smoke. Before the soldier could fire more shots at her, Fetch turned to neon and ran up the side of the building behind her. Delsin appeared behind the soldier, reaching out for him. Before he could grab him, however, the soldier used concrete to carry him up the building. Cursing under his breath, Delsin had no choice but to follow. He smoked up the building, turning back once he was on the edge of the building. The soldier was storming towards Fetch, who stumbled over her own feet.

 

Another shot went off, and Fetch stumbled again. That time, it was because of the gunshot wound in her thigh. Delsin felt as if he was very far away from it all, as if it were happening to someone else's best friend. He heard Fetch yell, saw the soldier raise his gun, and felt paralyzed.

 

"Delsin!" Fetch screamed his name, pulling him from his thoughts. "Duck!" She yelled as she gathered neon energy in her palms before shooting it at the soldier; Delsin hit the roof just in time. The soldier grunted, but it didn't stop him for long. Delsin looked up just as Fetch turned to neon again, grabbing the soldier as she ran. She became normal again once she got to the end of the roof, holding the soldier out over the edge. The wound in her side already healed, and the once in her thigh was slowly closing over. "What do you want from us?" Fetch said, hand squeezing his throat slowly.

 

Delsin got up, jogging over to Fetch. She looked at him briefly before turning back to the DUP impostor.

 

"What do you want?" She repeated herself, nearly yelling that time. The soldier said nothing, not that he could with Fetch's hand wrapped so tightly around his throat. All of a sudden, he raised his hand hit Fetch with a block of concrete. Her grip around the man's neck loosened as she stumbled forward; the soldier grabbed her as he fell, taking Fetch off the roof with him. For Delsin, time slowed. It was like being back with Reggie, when everything was crumbling beneath him, and Reggie was holding onto him for dear life. He couldn't save Reggie, but he could save Fetch. Without hesitation, he dove off the roof after them.

 

Fetch was fighting against the soldier in midair, trying to get him to let go of her. He didn't, his grip held tight. Delsin reached out to her, grabbing the back of her shirt. The man threw a jagged block of concrete at him, throwing Delsin away from them. He let go of Fetch's shirt, turning to smoke as the ground got closer. At the last moment, Fetch blasted him with neon and forced him to release her. It was too late; she hit the ground hard. Delsin landed on his feet and ran to her. The soldier lay unmoving a few feet away, but Delsin kicked him a few times to make sure.

 

"Hey," he said as he kneeled next to her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, breath coming in small gasps. "Are you okay?" Delsin asked softly, hands hovering just above Fetch. She shook her head, eyes still closed. Delsin put a hand beneath her neck gently, lifting her head. He put his other hand on the small of her back, just wanting to touch her, to know she was still alive and breathing. Slowly, Fetch opened her eyes. Delsin leaned in close, resting his forehead on hers. He was shaking, and he hoped Fetch wouldn't notice. "I was so scared when I saw you fall."

 

"I'll be okay," she said, her voice gravelly. Before she could say anything else, Fetch nearly coughed up a lung. Delsin leaned back, frowning. Fetch tried to get up, groaning as Delsin helped her. She stood up, breathing heavily. "Fuck, that hurt." Fetch said. Delsin was holding her hand until she released it, staggering away.

 

"You're just gonna walk away?" Delsin asked, slightly incredulous.

 

"What?" She turned, glaring at him.

 

"You almost died just now, and you're just gonna act like it never happened." Delsin said, throwing his hands up in the air. Fetch stared at him like he was an idiot, but Delsin wouldn't be deterred. "I know we have fast healing, but that was too dangerous!"

 

"Well I made it out just fine, didn't I?" She said, voice low and dangerous. Fetch looked like she would run away at the first opportunity; Delsin wouldn't let her. He surged forward, grabbing her wrist when she turned on her heel. She snarled at him, trying to pull her hand away. "Let me go!" Fetch demanded.

 

"No! You could've died, doesn't that mean anything to you?" Delsin said. She only glared at him, still trying to pull away. "Stop taking unnecessary risks, I don't want to see you die." He said, wanting her to realize how much she meant to him. How could she not know? How could she continue to put herself at risk?

 

"You won't, I'll be fine!" Fetch said. Delsin only glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. "We almost die every day! Why is this any different?"

 

"Because it's you!" Delsin yelled, mind racing too fast for him to control. Fetch only stared at him in shock. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you!"

 

"I'm just me!" Fetch yelled back at him; they were face to face, neither willing to back down. "I don't matter, you do! Why do you care so much?"

 

"Because I love you!" He said, stopping short when he realized what he'd just said. Fetch stared at him, completely slack jawed. Delsin let her wrist go, backing away a few steps. She didn't say anything, eyes wide. Delsin turned on his heel and ran, ignoring her when she yelled at him. He didn't know what she said, didn't want to know. Fetch was his best friend, and he'd probably just ruined things with her forever.

 

It was easier if he ran, it was easier if he didn't have to face her.

 

***

 

**December 11 th, 2018**

Delsin was one hundred percent an idiot, also he was one hundred percent doomed. He'd avoided Fetch like the plague after yesterday's confession, yet he knew he couldn't put off seeing her forever. They lived in the same apartment, after all. Thus far, however, he'd been successful. He was holed up in his room with both doors locked. Fetch had support group stuff to do earlier in the day, but he had no idea when she'd be home. It was safer if he just stayed in his room, he thought. Eugene tried to talk to him, but Delsin wasn't having any of it. He didn't want to talk about it to anyone.

 

Delsin lay on his bed facedown, covering his head with pillows. Given that he'd probably ruined all his chances with Fetch, he wasn't feeling particularly great. He kept replaying the conversation in his head. _Why do you care so much?_ She'd yelled at him, as if she was utterly inconsequential. How could Fetch not know how he felt? She was his best friend. _Because I love you!_ He'd yelled back without thinking. He hated himself for confessing without even meaning to. How could they go back to being best friends?

 

Delsin sat up suddenly, putting the pillows aside. What was done was done, he thought, trying to convince himself. His heart was pounding as he got up from bed and headed over to the door. It was the one leading into the living room, and he figured Fetch wouldn't be home yet. Delsin poked his head out cautiously, relieved to see that she wasn't there. He walked to the balcony doors before opening them slowly. He made his way out onto the balcony, closing the doors behind him. There were succulents in pots all over their balcony, pushed to the edge to make room for them to stand. He was impressed that Fetch had managed to keep them alive. Then again, she had help.

 

Thinking of her made him think of how disastrous yesterday was. Besides the fact she'd almost died, they still knew next to nothing about the impostors. They knew there were old DUP soldiers in their ranks, that the others were probably radical anti-conduit types, and that they wanted to break Augustine out of jail. Other than that, they were a mystery. Clearing districts yet again was slow going. _Why do you care so much?_ The thought caught him off guard, forcing him back to that moment. He shook his head as if he could clear it of such thoughts so easily. Delsin jumped when he heard the doors to the balcony opening with a creaking sound.

 

"You're avoiding me." Fetch said as she came to a stop beside him. Delsin said nothing, his heart pounding. "So," she turned to face him. "You love me."

 

"It was a heat of the moment thing." Delsin said, avoiding her gaze carefully. He wanted her to be his friend, he knew she couldn't be interested in him that way. Fetch only raised a brow, scowling at him. "I'm sorry."

 

"Delsin," she said softly, putting his hand over his. Delsin started, looking at her hopefully. "Don't lie to me." Fetch said. Delsin could only stare, mouth dry. His mind was racing with a thousand things to say, none of them particularly appealing. She tilted her head up and got on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. It was barely a brush of lips as she pulled back, gauging his reaction. Delsin cupped her jaw with his hand before leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss. Fetch tangled a hand in his hair, taking the other one out from under his and resting it on his chest. Delsin took the opportunity to put a hand on her hip, pulling her closer.

 

Fetch's lips were soft, and she kissed him like she was afraid he'd run away again. Delsin grazed his teeth against her bottom lip, wanting to prove to her he wouldn’t leave her. Fetch smiled against his lips, a silent acceptance. Delsin had to pull away for air soon after, resting his forehead against hers.

 

"I deeply enjoy parts of our time together." Fetch murmured. Delsin laughed in reply before kissing the corner of her mouth softly.

 

"That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me."

 

"Shut up." She said, rolling her eyes. Delsin only smirked.

 

"Make me." He said. Fetch gave him a look that seemed to say she was onto his tricks, but kissed him anyways.

 

With the sunset in the background, Delsin had to admit it was pretty romantic.

 

***

 

**December 18 th, 2018**

Delsin was out past midnight, and he knew Fetch would kill him. He said he'd be home for dinner, but had been attacked by impostor DUP. He'd spent hours evading and fighting back, only wanting to get back to the apartment in one piece. This group was particularly interested in him, for whatever reason, and wouldn't leave him alone. He was in an alley, running as fast as he could. Soldiers were hot on his heels, almost all of them armed with concrete powers. The former DUP chased him relentlessly, and Delsin knew he needed a better position before he could fight back.

 

Delsin turned to smoke, flying across the street. He wished it were in the middle of the day so he could lose them in a crowd. Unfortunately, it was almost dead quiet in Seattle in the middle of the night. He turned right, running to a nearby park. Once he got there, he turned to fight. Immediately, Delsin threw a ball of smoke into the crowd. Two out of five were coughing, so Delsin subdued them easily. The other three were running at him, but not shooting at him. He didn't know what to make of that.

 

He hit one square in the chest with his chain before sweeping it on the ground, knocking the others off their feet. Delsin fired a cinder missile at the soldier he'd hit with the chain, satisfied when it pushed him back and knocked him flat on his ass. He was tired of these damn pretenders chasing after him. It was time to put an end to it. Delsin stalked towards the two scrambling to their feet and hit one of them with a chain.

 

The other man lashed out, throwing a spike of concrete at Delsin. Delsin barely dodged it in time before rushing him. He went down on top of the soldier with a grunt, throwing punches. Another soldier pulled him off, and he fought against him before turning to smoke. When he turned back to normal again, Delsin lobbed off a ball of smoke. The two soldiers coughed, and Delsin dealt with them quickly. All of a sudden, the last soldier was on his feet and advancing on Delsin. It caught him by surprise, and Delsin cursed. He lashed out with his chain, hitting the other soldier until he fell on the ground. Delsin slammed the man's head into the ground, kicking him in the ribs once to make sure he wouldn't be getting up again.

 

He was breathing heavily, hands on his knees. Delsin straightened after a minute, desperate to get home. That should've been the last of them, so Delsin didn't notice when another soldier slipped out of the shadows. He heard the footsteps too late, turning only to find a fist in his face. Delsin went down, panic gripping him when his vision went black.

 

This definitely wasn't part of the plan.

 

***

 

**December 19 th, 2018**

"Oh good, you're finally awake." A voice drawled from Delsin's right. Delsin opened his eyes slowly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head. "Come on, I didn't hit you that hard." A man said. Delsin turned toward the sound, recognizing the soldier who knocked him out last night. He tried to raise a hand to his head, only to quickly realize he couldn't. He looked down in horror to see his hands encased in concrete; Delsin couldn't use his powers, and the soldier knew it. At that moment, the soldier started laughing.

 

"Who are you?" Delsin asked, voice rough. The man leaned against a wall, smirking. He was wearing a black coat, and his green eyes glimmered with amusement.

 

"My name is William Reinhardt. You are my prisoner, Delsin Rowe." He said. Delsin froze when Reinhardt said his name, cursing under his breath. That was why the impostors were relentless, that was why he was here. "Nothing to say? Pity," he said as he pushed off the wall to approach Delsin. Reinhardt crouched in front of him. "You don't know me, do you?" He said. Delsin didn't do anything, and Reinhardt took that as a cue to continue. "I was Augustine's most trusted lieutenant; I will avenge her, starting with you."

 

"She's in jail where she belongs." Delsin said, white hot fury pulsing through him at the thought of Augustine. "It's more than she deserves." He said, snarling at Reinhardt. Reinhardt's face twisted in rage as he backhanded Delsin. "Fuck you!" He said, spitting in the ground in front of Reinhardt.

 

"You don't know me now, Delsin," he said lowly. Delsin only glared back at him, unwilling to back down. "But you will."

 

"We'll see about that." Delsin hissed, feeling slightly smug when Reinhardt finally looked away.

 

"Most people ask what I want by now." Reinhardt said as he walked back towards the wall, leaning against it with his arms crossed. "I don't suppose you'll indulge me, will you?" He said, sighing when Delsin was silent. "Okay, in that case, I'll just tell you. I've already contacted Macy Greene, your fearless leader. She'll pay your ransom, or you'll die here slowly."

 

"What was your name again? Was it Van Gogh fuck yourself?" Delsin said. Reinhardt only scowled at him, and Delsin smirked in reply. He pushed off the wall once more and stalked over to Delsin, kicking him in the ribs. Delsin stubbornly stayed sitting, not wanting to show weakness. "You can't keep me here." He said. Reinhardt only raised a brow at his statement. "It's only a matter of time until I escape."

 

"We'll see about that." Reinhardt said as he spun on his heel and left the room. Delsin almost shouted something after him, but thought better of it. Slowly, he got to his feet and looked around the room. It was small and had only one flickering light bulb hanging from the ceiling to light the room. There was a small sleeping bag on the ground in a corner, and a bucket not too far from it. He shuddered to think of what the bucket was for. There was nothing else, nothing on the grimy white walls, not even a window. Delsin made his way to the sleeping bag and sat down hard. He laid his head back against the wall, resisting the urge to cry.

 

Delsin had no idea where he was, no idea if Fetch and Eugene thought him dead. Would they come for him? They had to, he talked a big game with Reinhardt, but he wasn't sure he could deliver on his promise. He couldn't use his powers with the concrete around his hands, so what could he do? Well, Delsin thought, he had a lot of time to think on it.

 

That is, if Reinhardt didn't kill him first.

 

***

 

He was woken with a bucket full of cold water in his face. Delsin opened his eyes, spluttering. Reinhardt was standing over him, looking down on him as if regarding an ant. Delsin glared furiously, wanting nothing more than to punch that smug look off his face.

 

"Macy is being obtuse with me, any idea why? I thought you the golden child of the movement." Reinhardt said. Delsin said nothing. Reinhardt grabbed a handful of Delsin's hair, pulling him off the ground. Delsin grunted, biting his lip to keep from crying out. "You will talk, Delsin." He said. Delsin spit in his face. Reinhardt's eyes went wide as he wiped the spit off his cheek. He shook it off his hand before releasing Delsin, who went to the floor. "I was going to be nice, maybe give you some water. Now, I think I'll just leave you until you're so weak you're begging me for death."

 

"Do you practice these speeches beforehand, or is it all spur of the moment?" Delsin said, grinning when Reinhardt only frowned down at him. "It's a bit impressive either way, if not pretentious."

 

"Shut up." Reinhardt growled, eyes flashing dangerously. If Fetch were there, she would tell him to shut his big mouth before it got him in trouble. However, Fetch wasn't there, and he really wanted to piss Reinhardt off.

 

"You'll never be Augustine, just face it; you're like a little boy pretending at being big and bad, but you're just a bully." Delsin said, oddly satisfied when Reinhardt reeled back as if struck. A moment later, he kicked Delsin sharply in the ribs once more.

 

"You'll regret that." Reinhardt growled before leaving Delsin alone. Delsin got up and paced around the room, having too much energy to sit still anymore. Besides, his sleeping bag was still wet from his rude awakening. An idea struck him as he paused in front of the wall. Reggie broke the concrete before just by sheer brute force, what if he could do that again? The thought of Reggie made him pause. He knew he was shaking, his mind racing. What would Reggie do? He knew Reggie could get himself out of this mess, that he would find a way no matter what.

 

Delsin regarded the wall thoughtfully. It was worth a try. He raised his arms and hit the wall with his hands. The concrete encasing his hands didn't budge, but he wouldn't give up so easily. Delsin raised his hands and hit the wall again and again, satisfied when he spotted the slightest fracture in the concrete. He could do this; he wouldn't die and leave his best friends alone.

 

When he got out, Reinhardt wouldn't know what hit him.

 

**December 20 th, 2018**

Delsin wasn't asleep the next time someone entered the room. This time, it was two of the fake DUP soldiers. He wondered whether or not they had concrete, and if he could take them out easily. If they didn't have concrete, it would be simple. If they did, however, that would complicate things a bit. Delsin said nothing as they approached him.

 

"You'll be coming with us, Reinhardt has questions." One of them said, the other one stood beside him, smirking. Delsin let them pull him up, refusing to help them in any way. They practically dragged him out of the room and into a dimly lit hall. There were no windows in the hall either, making Delsin wonder just where they were. They passed a staircase, and Delsin tried to memorize where it was in case he escaped. He observed the hallway, counting the steps he'd taken since they left the room. The soldiers stopped in front of a nondescript door, one of them went for a key. Delsin took the moment of distraction to bring his concrete encased hands up to smack the other soldier in the face.

 

He fell back onto the floor, and the other man whirled on Delsin. Delsin hit him with the concrete too, frowning when it didn't break. He was sure that would've done it, but in any case, the guards were out cold. Delsin turned and ran towards the stairs, making his way up to the next floor as quickly as he could. He heard someone shout, but ignored them in favor of running through the cramped hallway. Suddenly, an alarm was blaring through the building; Delsin cursed internally and ran faster. A door at the end of the hallway opened, and a woman walked through it. She raised her hand, dread flooded through Delsin when he felt concrete crawling up his legs.

 

"Take him back to his room." The woman commanded a soldier. Delsin didn't move when the concrete was broken, surrounded by the fake DUP on all sides. He was escorted back to his room and shoved onto the floor roughly. Delsin got up and made his way to the sleeping bag, sitting with his back against the wall.

 

Well, Delsin thought, he was pretty much back to square one.

 

***

 

"So, you followed through on your escape attempt." Reinhardt said. He was standing in front of Delsin, a smug smile on his face. Delsin had nothing to say, so he just shrugged. "It seems you can't be trusted with the concrete, too many liabilities." Reinhardt said, tapping his chin as if he was in great thought. Delsin rolled his eyes at the act, he hated how this guy was all about appearance and really had no substance. He wasn't like Augustine, who would've made good on threats of torture. "It's a good thing I have these handcuffs, I suppose." He said as he pulled them out of his coat pocket.

 

Delsin's heart leapt at the sight of them, he knew he could pick the lock. Reinhardt didn't know he'd been arrested so often as a teenager that he'd figured out the trick to getting out of handcuffs. He tried to keep his face blank as Reinhardt broke the concrete, quickly cuffing Delsin before he could do anything. Still, with his hands trapped, he couldn't do anything.

 

"You'll talk one of these days." Reinhardt said as he walked out of the room, slamming the door closed with a dramatic flair. Delsin shook his head at Reinhardt's retreat before turning his concentration to the handcuffs. All he needed was a pick. That was when he remembered the bobby pins in his pocket from when Fetch had given him some, saying that she always lost hers. Carefully, he bent down and brought his hands down low enough that he could step over them.

 

Delsin put his hand in his jean pocket, grinning when he pulled out a bobby pin. It was awkward to bend it to the right shape, but he managed it. With a grin, Delsin set to work on his cuffs.

 

He told Reinhardt he'd escape, it was time to follow through.

 

***

 

**December 21 st, 2018**

Delsin waited to make his escape. He had no idea what day or time it was, but he figured if he tried to escape immediately after his first attempt, they would still be on high alert. Reinhardt thought he had him trapped, as Delsin had put the cuffs back on after figuring out how to get them off. He had to keep up an appearance after all, and stepped back over his hands to put them behind his back again. Reinhardt hadn't made an appearance in quite some time, and Delsin waited for hours until he decided he'd had enough.

 

Carefully, he picked the cuffs and grinned when they slid off his wrists. He hid them in the sleeping bag before making his way to the door. Delsin tried to handle, not surprised to find it locked. That would be an easy fix too. He knelt down to pick the lock, listening for footsteps in the hall. When the lock was open, and he heard nothing in the hall, Delsin opened the door slowly. He closed it quietly behind him and went to the stairs.

 

He didn't run, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Once on the second floor, he pressed himself to the wall, sticking to the shadows. There were no windows anywhere, were they underground? It would explain the damp, musty smell. He froze when he heard someone talking. He quickly opened a door and closed it as quietly as he could. Delsin looked around, relieved to find that the room was empty. Once he heard the footsteps pass him, Delsin opened the door and rushed down the hallway. He found the next set of stairs and went up it, suspicious that nobody had caught on yet.

 

Suddenly, he wondered if it were a trap. The thought made him stop in the middle of the hall, and he looked around for cameras. Seeing none, Delsin willed his heart to stop pounding as he continued. It was going well, too well in fact. That moment was, of course, when everything went to shit. A patrol of two soldiers rounded the corner, pausing when they saw him. Delsin immediately shot a ball of smoke at them, subduing them as they coughed. He ran down the hall, not caring who heard. All he knew was that he had to escape.

 

The same alarm from earlier blared, and soldiers poured into the hall. The difference was that Delsin had his powers back. He shot missiles at the crowd, making his own way through. His smoke didn't last forever, so he absorbed concrete from one of the former DUP guys. Delsin made his way through, pushing people aside with waves of concrete. Where was Reinhardt? Was he really going to make it? His heart pounded as he went up yet another set of stairs. There was shouting all around him, and he turned back to see a crowd of soldiers behind him.

 

He ran into someone at the top of the stairs, stumbling back and almost falling. Delsin tried to steady himself, knowing that if he fell back the crowd would swallow him whole. Fingers were gripping his jacket and pulling him up, and he let himself be pulled. Delsin turned to face his rescuer, shocked to come face to face with Fetch and Eugene. Eugene let go of his jacket while Fetch shot off a blast of neon into the crowd of soldiers. The massive blast was enough the clear the stairs. Delsin could only stare at his friends in awe. How did they find him?

 

"Smokes, you asshole!" Fetch yelled at him. Delsin cracked a smile, knowing he probably looked like shit. Fetch punched him in the stomach before fisting a hand in his jacket and pulling him forward, pressing a hard kiss to his lips. Still out of breath, both from the running and Fetch's punch, Delsin kissed her like he was a dying man. Eugene cleared his throat and they broke apart.

 

"What are you doing here?" He asked, still not believing it was quite real.

 

"We're here to rescue you, obviously." Fetch said, rolling her eyes. She looked at him thoughtfully. "Then again, you look like you had it handled." She said. Delsin only shrugged in reply.

 

"I hate to break up the reunion, but we've gotta get out of here." He said, pointing down the hall. Eugene took off without waiting for them to follow, leading them down the hall. Fetch and Delsin set off after him, all three of them sprinting down the hall.

 

"Where's Reinhardt, is he still here?" Delsin said as they rounded a corner.

 

"No, we found his office before the alarm sounded; he wasn't there." Eugene said. Fetch nodded in agreement. "Macy sent people ahead of us to find him, they didn't see him either."

 

"Someone must've tipped him off." Fetch said, obviously angry at that fact. That was a problem to be dealt with later, after they escaped. They encountered more soldiers, but with the three of them working together, it didn't take them long to escape. They emerged from an underground bunker into the light of a full moon. Delsin urged them on, wanting to put as much distance between him and the bunker as possible. They finally stopped running when Delsin looked back and realized he couldn't see the bunker.

 

"Where are we?" He asked, turning in a circle to look around. Eugene had his hands on his knees and was breathing heavy. Fetch sat down on the asphalt.

 

"About half an hour out from Seattle." Eugene finally said. Delsin nodded thoughtfully. "We have trucks up the road, it's not far. We parked a bit away so we wouldn't tip them off to our arrival."

 

"Yeah, like that did shit for us. Reinhardt knew we were coming. So, either we have a double agent or we gave something away accidentally." Fetch snarled the last bit, clearly unhappy with whoever had betrayed them.

 

"Come on, we can figure it out later." Delsin said, pulling Fetch to her feet. He started walking, wanting to get to the trucks as soon as possible. "Where are the people Macy sent ahead?"

 

"Hopefully waiting for us at the trucks." Eugene said, falling in step behind Delsin. "They were supposed to help us get you out undetected; that obviously didn't work out."

 

"What can I say? I'm just too good at picking locks." Delsin said, smiling when Fetch laughed.

 

"Would you say you're good with your hands?" She teased him, waggling her eyebrows. Delsin smirked at her while Eugene groaned.

 

"Well, you already knew that." He said, winking. Fetch hit his arm halfheartedly.

 

"You two are the worst." Eugene said, throwing his hands up in the air. Delsin only chuckled. He was exhausted; he hoped the trucks were close by. Honestly, all he wanted was a shower, a hot meal, and a bed. Not necessarily in that order. "There they are." Eugene said as he pointed out two trucks parked just off the road. Three people were waiting in front of one, two women and one man.

 

"We were hoping you'd show up." The blonde woman said, waving at them. "Any luck finding Reinhardt?"

 

"No, we thought you might've gotten him." Fetch said. The blonde woman shook her head. "We got Delsin, and that's more important."

 

"For now," the man in the group said. Fetch glared at him, cutting of whatever he was going to say next.

 

"Anyways," the blonde interrupted hastily before Fetch could start a fight. "My name is Marissa, this is Jack, and that's Priya." She said, pointing to her companions in turn. "We're conduits working for CAP."

 

"They came to find Reinhardt tonight while we got you out." Fetch said. Delsin nodded, more eager to get in a truck and drive back to Seattle. "We should go soon." She said. Eugene nodded in agreement. Marissa obeyed wordlessly, opening the driver's seat door of the truck she was standing by. Fetch got into the driver's seat of the other truck, and Delsin went to the backseat so he could lie down. Eugene took the passenger side.

 

Fetch put the car in drive as Delsin pillowed his head on his hands. He'd barely slept, he had no idea how many days had passed.

 

"Hey," he said as Fetch got them on the road. "What day is it?"

 

"It's Friday the twenty first." Eugene said as he adjusted the radio. Delsin nodded before closing his eyes. He'd been trapped for three days. The revelation wasn't exactly great, but he was grateful it hadn't been longer. Who knew what would've happened when Reinhardt finally snapped? Delsin tried to put the thoughts out of his mind and concentrated on falling asleep. All he wanted to do was get some rest, knowing just how much work they had to do when they got back.

 

Reinhardt would get what was coming to him, Delsin would make sure of it.

 

***

 

**December 22 nd, 2018**

Eugene handed him a plate of waffles and bacon before taking a seat next to Delsin at the bar. Fetch was still asleep, and neither of them dared to wake her. Delsin was exhausted, but a night of sleep and a shower helped.

 

"How are you holding up?" Eugene said. Delsin was still cutting his waffles into neat pieces. He paused, unsure of how to answer. He had information on the fake DUP and William Reinhardt, but he still felt unsafe every time he stepped out the door.

 

"I don't know." Delsin said before taking a sip of coffee. "I won't let him take me again."

 

"It wasn't your fault, how could you have known something like that would happen?" Eugene said, and Delsin focused on not falling apart. He should've known, should've been stronger.

 

"I should've been able to evade them." Delsin said, not meeting Eugene's eye. Eugene sighed but said nothing. Delsin didn't want to fight with him. A hand covering his own unexpectedly made Delsin jump a bit. He turned to see Eugene, who looked like he was fighting the urge to run away.

 

"We're gonna get him back." He said. Delsin knew his face was red, and he didn't know quite what to make of that. He nodded in reply. Eugene squeezed Delsin's hand once before going back to his breakfast. Delsin tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. Whatever he felt for Eugene, he was in love with Fetch. He wouldn't ruin what he had with her.

 

Delsin didn't know what to do, but he knew who would.

 

***

 

They were headed back to the bunker just to check it out. Macy was very strict when she told them not to engage. Delsin balked at first, but with some prodding from Fetch and Eugene, he finally accepted. His mind was racing as they got out of the truck and walked down the road. His palms were sweaty, all he could think about was how much he wanted to run away. Fetch grabbed his hand and squeezed it, trying to help keep him grounded. Delsin squeezed her hand back, grateful for her reassuring presence.

 

Eugene, on his other side, shot him a worried look. Delsin kept going, not willing to abandon their mission. When they made it to the bunker, Eugene helped Delsin open the heavy metal door. Fetch went in first, and they followed. There were no lights on, so Fetch made an orb of neon in her hands. She led the way through the bunker. There were no lights on anywhere, nobody around to stop them. The air was still musty and damp. Delsin remembered his room, shuddered to think of what might've happened.

 

Where had they gone? Fetch led the way, taking them through twisting hallways. Finally, she came to a stop in front of a door. She opened it to reveal an office. If Delsin had to guess, he thought it must've been Reinhardt's. They made their way inside, looking around for clues. There was nothing, just furniture and empty drawers.

 

"They're not here." Delsin said. Fetch nodded while Eugene rifled through a stack of papers. Delsin looked away from Eugene, still not entirely comfortable with the tangle of feelings that came along with Eugene. "Let's go, this place creeps me out."

 

"Agreed," Fetch said as she turned on her heel. Her hand found Delsin's again as she led them back out of the bunker. Delsin was glad to leave. They found the truck, and Fetch got them back on the road to Seattle. Delsin knew, logically, that he was never going back to the bunker, but he couldn’t quite convince his mind of it.

 

The sooner they got back to Seattle, the better.

 

***

 

**December 26 th, 2018**

Predictably, their Christmas was spent tracking leads on Reinhardt. They did get to exchange gifts, but their meals consisted of takeout instead of home cooked turkey. Delsin was adding it to the growing list of Reinhardt's crimes. He was in Fetch's bed, having woken up alone. Fetch was already in the shower, so Delsin made his way out to the balcony. He got his phone out and dialed Betty's number.

 

"Hey Delsin," Betty said. Delsin leaned against the balcony's railing.

 

"Hey Betty, I think I might need your help again."

 

"Did something happen with Fetch?" She said. Delsin smiled, still amused that her mind immediately went to Fetch.

 

"Aside from us kicking ass and taking names? No," Delsin said, laughing when Betty sighed in exasperation. "I do have a problem."

 

"You only call me for dating advice these days." Betty teased him. Delsin rolled his eyes. "Lay it on me."

 

"So you know I love Fetch, but I kind of like Eugene too?" Delsin said in a rush, hoping Betty wouldn't start yelling at him.

 

"Well, you know it's possible to love two people, right?" Betty said. Delsin paused, taking a moment to think it over. Loving two people? How could it be possible? When he thought of Fetch, he thought about how she made him laugh, how she always seemed to know when he needed her, how she rolled her eyes at his puns. Eugene was different, quieter, more calm when Delsin needed it. "Delsin?"

 

"I'm still here." He said. Betty didn't say anything, giving Delsin a moment to think. "That's exactly what I needed to hear, how do you do that?"

 

"Call it a woman's intuition." Betty said, sounding slightly smug. Delsin laughed before hanging up.

 

Could it really be that easy? Delsin doubted it, but what choice did he have?

 

***

 

"Fetch," he said to the mirror for the fifth time. "I love you, but I also like Eugene. Please don't kill me!" He said, still not satisfied with how it sounded. How did one tell their girlfriend they had a crush on their best friend? Delsin paced in the bathroom, trying to work up the courage to tell her. "Fetch," he tried once more. "I love you, and I like Eugene too. What do I do?" Delsin said. He tried again, not hearing the bathroom door open. He jumped when he saw Fetch's reflection in the mirror.

 

"Let me guess, you have a crush on Eugene?" Fetch said with a smirk. Delsin turned, fearing the worst. She only laughed when he caught her eye. "You could try being less obvious about it."

 

"Why are you in here?" Delsin asked, heart pounding.

 

"I came looking for floss, believe it or not." She said. Delsin rolled his eyes in reply. Fetch came closer to him, putting a hand on his chest.

 

"Isn't this the part where you yell at me?" Delsin said. Fetch only kissed him, silencing any protest. Delsin put his hands on her lower back, holding her tight in his arms. She pulled away from him to catch her breath.

 

"You're an idiot if you think I didn't know." She said before flicking his forehead.

 

"Well, we already knew that." Delsin said, laughing when she snorted. Fetch shot him a mischievous look, and he knew she was already scheming.

 

"So, how do we get Eugene in on this?"

 

"God, I love you." Delsin said before leaning in to kiss her.

 

How Delsin got lucky enough to have Fetch, he'd never know.

 

***

 

**December 27 th, 2018**

Delsin was sitting next to Eugene, trying to concentrate on the movie. He couldn't, he was still running through what he wanted to tell Eugene in his head. Fetch left earlier to go grocery shopping, probably wanting to give them some time alone. Delsin wished she were there, he knew she would gently bully him into telling Eugene. He was quickly losing his nerve.

 

"Hey," he said finally. Eugene looked at him, and Delsin's words died in his throat. "Like the movie?" He asked. Eugene only nodded before looking back at the screen. Delsin cursed himself internally, wishing he had Fetch's courage.

 

At this rate, he'd never tell Eugene.

 

***

 

"So," Delsin said, trying to project a casual appearance. He leaned against a counter in the kitchen while Eugene made microwave popcorn. "Come here often?" He asked. Eugene chuckled, rolling his eyes at Delsin. His palms were sweating, he felt like he was going to pass out. He stayed silent as they went back to the couch to watch more movies. Fetch was going to be so pissed when she got home, Delsin just knew it.

 

He was so fucked, so totally and completely fucked.

 

***

 

Fetch got home about an hour later, looking at Delsin expectantly. He only shook his head, making her frown. The three of them put away groceries in complete silence. Fetch stalked off to her room, leaving Delsin with a sinking feeling in his stomach. A few minutes later she emerged with a manic smile on her face.

 

"Hey guys, let's relocate to my room. My bed is comfier than the couch," she said. Delsin shot her a skeptical look but followed Fetch into her room. Eugene made his way to Fetch's room none the wiser. Delsin knew she was up to something, but didn't quite know what. It wasn't until she wasn't in the room and Delsin heard the lock turning that he realized. He pounded on the door, hearing Fetch laughing on the other side.

 

"Let us out!" He shouted through the door.

 

"Not until you tell him!" Fetch yelled back. Delsin frowned, knowing he could blow the door off its hinges. He didn't want to, he knew the situation was his own fault.

 

"Tell me what?" Eugene said. Delsin turned to him, trying to swallow past the lump in his throat. He shot one last glare at the door, doubting that Fetch even cared.

 

"So, you're one of my best friends." Delsin said. Eugene nodded, motioning for him to continue. God, why did this have to be so difficult? "But I think I like you as more than a friend?" He said, wincing at how it came out as a question. Eugene raised a brow, clearly not expecting that.

 

"You and Fetch are dating." He said. Delsin nodded, almost wanting to laugh at Eugene's shocked expression. "She's okay with this?"

 

"She's actually actively cheering us on." Delsin said. Eugene nodded, still looking slightly shell shocked. "So, do you want to join us? Our relationship, that is." He said. Eugene was silent, and Delsin could almost hear his mind working.

 

"It might not work out." He said. Delsin stepped closer to Eugene. "What if we ruin our friendship?"

 

"It's a chance I'm willing to take." Delsin said, holding Eugene's gaze. "Are you?" He asked softly. There wasn't even a foot of space between them. Eugene licked his lips before grabbing a fistful of Delsin's shirt and pulling him down to kiss him. Delsin kissed him back with fervor, tongue licking Eugene's lips. Eugene opened his mouth, letting Delsin explore. Kissing Eugene was different from kissing Fetch, that was the first thing he noticed. For one, Eugene was softer than she was. Kissing Fetch was bruising and feverish, while kissing Eugene was gentle and lazy.

 

"Hey, is everything okay in there?" Fetch said, words muffled by the door. Delsin pulled back, chuckling.

 

"Yeah, come on in." He said. A moment later the door opened, admitting a smug looking Fetch.

 

"I told you Eugene liked you!" She said, hitting Delsin's arm. Delsin batted her hand away. Eugene looked between them, quietly amused.

 

"Shut up," Delsin said, ruffling a hand through her hair affectionately.

 

"You just hate that I'm right." She said before turning to Eugene. Fetch hugged him quickly before pulling away. "Let's go get dinner, I'm starving." She said.

 

Delsin always loved how she made everything feel so simple.

 

***

 

**December 29 th, 2018**

Delsin was woken up by his annoyingly loud ringtone. With a groan, he accepted the call.

 

"Hello?" He said, rubbing his eyes.

 

"Delsin, I'm sorry to wake you this late." Macy said. Delsin sat up, instantly awake. "We just got word that Reinhardt is moving on the prison holding Augustine."

 

"Shit, I'll get Eugene and Fetch up. We're on our way." He said as he stood up.

 

"Delsin, good luck." Macy said. Delsin said nothing, just hung up. He put clothes on quickly before moving through the bathroom and into Eugene's room to wake him. He then went to Fetch's room, waking her. In a few minutes, they were ready to go. Delsin drove, blatantly ignoring the speed limit. The prison holding Augustine was remote, and about half an hour north from Seattle. He drove them as quickly as possible, and they arrived in twenty minutes.

 

The prison had a sizable hole in it, and Delsin grimaced as he got out of the SUV. Fetch was already running towards the hole, Eugene following close behind. Delsin sprinted to catch up, falling into step beside them. They made their way through the prison, knowing exactly where to go. Delsin visited Augustine in prison exactly one time, and it didn't go well. Still, he knew where she was being held courtesy of Macy. Delsin was unsurprised to see Reinhardt standing in front of Augustine's cell.

 

"Hey!" Delsin shouted, running at Reinhardt full speed. Reinhardt turned too late, Delsin was already crashing into him. He punched Reinhardt, feeling the satisfying crack of bone beneath his knuckles. He was thrown off by a blast of concrete, landing awkwardly on his back. Delsin got up quickly enough when Reinhardt stalked towards him.

 

"Where is she?" He said, voice low and dangerous. Delsin smirked, realizing that Reinhardt had seen through their ruse. The real Augustine was in Curdun Cay, the one in the cell only a decoy.

 

"You really think I'd tell you?" He said before shooting a cinder missile at Reinhardt. Fetch shot neon at him, while Eugene ran at Reinhardt with a pixelated sword. Reinhardt fought back, throwing concrete at them. Suddenly, he turned on his heel and ran. They pursued him, Fetch throwing neon energy at him at every turn.

 

"Get back here!" Fetch said as they ran into the cafeteria. A shot of neon at his knees had Reinhardt stumbling, and Fetch descended upon him in a fury. Delsin shot a cinder missile at him from across the room, while Eugene moved in with his pixelated sword. Reinhardt threw Fetch across the room with a burst of concrete. Delsin melted the lock on the doors as he ran across the room. Reinhardt threw a punch as Delsin came near, and Delsin kicked him in the knee, satisfied when Reinhardt grunted. Suddenly, Reinhardt turned and threw a block of concrete at the doors, breaking them open. Throwing the three of them back, he made his escape.

 

Delsin led the group up a staircase and up to the roof. When they opened the door leading to the roof, Reinhardt was standing at the edge of the prison. Delsin stopped in his tracks. Fetch ran into him, while Eugene skidded to a stop.

 

"I won't go to jail!" Reinhardt shouted. Delsin approached him slowly, hands raised. "I won't!" He said, desperate. He was standing on the edge, only one step between him and falling to his death.

 

"Reinhardt, think about this." Delsin said, practically pleading with him. "This isn't a solution."

 

"I know how they treat our kind in prison." Reinhardt said, wavering at the edge. "You can't make me go." He said. Fetch had a ball of energy ready in her hands, no doubt ready to end Reinhardt. Eugene was twitchy, as if he didn't know what to do with his nervous energy.

 

"Don't do this." Delsin said, hands still raised. Reinhardt only shook his head.

 

"Goodbye, Delsin Rowe." He said before stepping off the edge. Eugene took a leaping jump, turning into He Who Dwells as he ascended. Delsin ran to the edge, disbelieving when Eugene scooped Reinhardt up out of the air. Fetch was beside him, too shocked to say anything. Delsin just got out his phone, calling Macy.

 

"Hey, we have Reinhardt. Send some men, he'll be a handful." He said, not waiting for Macy to reply before hanging up. Eugene turned back to normal as he got to the roof, dropping Reinhardt safely in the middle of the roof. Eugene landed on his feet before subduing Reinhardt. Delsin and Fetch ran to him in the center, and Delsin scooped both of them into a hug. "We did it!" He said, not quite believing it himself. Fetch, surprisingly, didn't protest. When Delsin released them, they went over to Reinhardt.

 

"I can't believe it's over." Fetch said. Delsin nodded in agreement, kicking Reinhardt to make sure he was well and truly passed out. When Reinhardt didn't move, Delsin figured it was okay.

 

"So, now we wait." He said as he slung his arms around Fetch and Eugene's shoulders.

 

He couldn't believe it was over, but he was relieved nonetheless.

 

***

 

**January 4 th, 2019**

It was hard enough getting away from reporters the first time they took down the DUP, and it was even more so the second time. Somehow, they got back to Salmon Bay in one piece. That wasn't to say it was easy, as Fetch seemed to want to fight every reporter she met. Delsin pulled up to the longhouse, the sun setting in the background. He got out, adjusting his tie. Fetch had convinced them to dress up, and Delsin was already regretting the decision.

 

"You ready for this?" He asked as they got out of the SUV. Fetch said nothing and took his arm, looking stunning as ever in her black dress. Eugene twitched nervously beside Delsin, laughing softly when Delsin offered him his other arm. They went up the stairs to the longhouse, and Delsin opened the door for them. Immediately, confetti showered down on them. People were cheering, and music was playing in the background.

 

"Delsin!" Betty said, cupping her hands around her mouth to be heard. Delsin crossed the room to meet her, hugging her tightly. "You made it!"

 

"You kidding me? I wouldn't miss it." He said as he released her. She beamed at him, clearly proud of the party she'd arranged for them.

 

"I'm so proud of you, Delsin." She said affectionately. Delsin smiled, not quite knowing what to say. Fetch was at his side while Eugene was grabbing punch for them. "Fetch! It's so good to see you again." She said, offering a hug to Fetch. Surprisingly, Fetch accepted it. If Delsin was a little misty eyed, nobody could blame him. Eugene arrived with their punch a moment later, greeting Betty with a wide grin. She smirked at Delsin, who pointedly ignored Betty's knowing look.

 

"So, are you gonna ask me to dance or what?" Fetch asked, tapping her foot impatiently on the wood floor. Delsin set his punch down on the table before taking Fetch's hand.

 

"You're up next." He said to Eugene as he led Fetch onto the dance floor. People were dancing on all sides, so Delsin took her hand in one hand and swayed with her slowly. She put her arms around his neck, smiling.

 

"So, you've saved Seattle twice. What will you do now?" Fetch said. Delsin rolled his eyes.

 

"I had help." He said. Fetch said nothing, only flicked his forehead. "I don't know, honestly. Maybe I'll start a farm."

 

"We're not becoming farmers, Delsin."

 

"We'll see what Eugene has to say about that." He said, winking at her. She groaned in reply, shooting him a half-hearted glare. When the song was over, Delsin escorted her back to Eugene and Betty. Delsin held out his hand for Eugene to take, who looked at it cautiously.

 

"You're serious?"

 

"I'm always serious." Delsin said. Eugene only laughed before taking Delsin's hand, allowing Delsin to lead him to the dance floor. It was a more upbeat song, so Delsin didn't have to try and figure out who would lead. Instead, he was laughing at Eugene's attempt at dancing. The longhouse felt different, was different than all the times before. He didn't know if he'd ever truly feel at home in Salmon Bay, but at least he could visit without feeling like he could cry at any moment.

 

And if he was being sappy, nobody could call him on it.

 

***

 

Late that night found them outside the longhouse on the cliffs facing the beach. Fetch snuck out a bottle of champagne with some glasses, and she was pouring it for them. Eugene put his head on Delsin's shoulder, leaning into him. Fetch handed him a glass that he passed to Eugene before taking his own. He took a sip of it, not terribly impressed with the cheap champagne. Well, he mused, it was better than nothing.

 

"Do you think we'll ever have a dull moment?" Eugene asked after a few minutes.

 

"With Delsin around?" Fetch said, poking Delsin's arm. "I don't think it's possible."

 

"Hey!" He protested, glaring at Fetch. "That's not fair, you know you both attract trouble too."

 

"Not as much as you do." Fetch said before leaning against him. Delsin only rolled his eyes before putting an arm around her waist. "At this rate we'll never retire into the simple life of farming and quiet contemplation."

 

"Since when are we becoming farmers?" Eugene asked. Delsin only laughed while Eugene looked at them, clearly confused.

 

"I told you he wouldn’t go for it." Fetch said.

 

"We couldn't be farmers anyway, Eugene would forget to water the crops. Then where would we be?" He teased Eugene, who muttered something under his breath. Fetch chuckled before drinking more champagne. They sat in a comfortable silence, looking out over the water.

 

"Hey," Eugene said, voice barely above a whisper. "I love you guys, you know that right?"

 

"I love you too." Delsin said, pressing a soft kiss to the side of Eugene's head.

 

"You guys are too sappy." Fetch said, wrinkling her nose. Delsin kissed her, silencing any protests. When he pulled away Fetch only rolled her eyes. "I hate you."

 

"You love me." Delsin said. Fetch didn't say anything, she didn't need to. The look she gave him was enough. Maybe she couldn’t say it, but that was okay. Delsin knew, that was enough. It was crazy to think that these two had become so important to him along the way, but he wouldn’t take it back for anything.

 

He was theirs, they were his, and Delsin was never letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooohh wow ok so we're done and this was really fun!!
> 
> seriously y'all.... the fact that this is so many words just amazes me
> 
> and i really appreciate kudos, comments, bookmarks etc..


End file.
